


Changes

by Turtlewatcher



Series: Home With You [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Modern AU, POV Armin Arlert, POV Mikasa Ackerman, arumika
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:41:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turtlewatcher/pseuds/Turtlewatcher
Summary: Mikasa and Armin's college days are behind them. They have fallen into their own rhythm of life, working in the same city as their alma mater and spending time with family and friends.However, life is easily interrupted.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman/Armin Arlert, Side Eren/Annie, Side Sasha/Nicolo
Series: Home With You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762408
Comments: 18
Kudos: 40





	1. The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking this fic out. It is part two of a series, but both parts can be read on their own or out of order without losing anything.

Mikasa stared at the toaster. Waiting. Just a little more.

Pop. Finally.

She ate her breakfast quickly, mentally checking off her to do list.

Morning workout: check. Packed for the hotel: check. Make coffee before Armin wakes up: check. Left to do: wake up Armin and pick up Sasha and Connie. She set aside a piece of toast and walked towards the bedroom door. One of those items was soon to be checked.

Easing the door open, Mikasa heard soft snoring and smiled. Armin was on his side, golden hair falling across his closed eyes. Soft morning light shone over him from the large bedroom window and one hand rested gently beside his face. Mikasa's breath caught in her throat a little. These were some of her favorite moments. What was it that she liked so much? Maybe it was seeing his features cleared of thought and serene. Although, there were other kinds of times that he was not busy thinking. Less serene were his features then, and instead filled with desire. 

She checked her watch then shook her head, trying to clear her own thoughts. There was no time this morning for that kind of wake up call. She would have to use a less sinful method. Gently lowering herself, she kissed his lips softly. He stirred with a low "mmhmm" and she wished once again that they had more time.

"Wake up," she said softly. She left the room before temptation overrode her better senses. Mikasa did not want to have to explain to Sasha and Connie why they were late. There would be no excuse beside the truth that would be taken as valid. Sasha and Connie had both figured out that there was only one thing that could sabotage Armin and Mikasa's near perfect punctuality. Not to mention, Ymir would kill them if they threw anything about this day off.

Mikasa sipped her coffee and leaned against the counter. Her and Sasha had talked many times about their surprise at Ymir's inner bridezilla. Although, in hindsight, it did make some sense. Ymir had always treasured her relationship with Historia in a very overt way. In the meantime, Historia seemed to be cool as a cucumber, just walking around smiling and thanking everyone at last night's rehearsal dinner. 

Mikasa noticed when the background noise of Armin in the shower disappeared. It was soon replaced by Armin himself, standing in the doorway. He was working on his shirt buttons. This was making her situation much worse. She loved him in a button up, and she especially enjoyed watching his nimble fingers doing up each button. Before she knew what she was doing, she had walked over to him and used her hands to stop his. He had only made it halfway up the shirt. She touched his chest and looked into his eyes. He looked a little surprised, but smiled knowingly. He gently removed her hands from his skin and gave her a quick peck on the lips before making his way to his coffee mug. She groaned.

"If I had known it was that sort of morning, I would have woken up earlier," he said.

"We could be late." Her resolve to be on time was dissolving with every minute. If she could just pin him to the bed... And she certainly _could_.

"You and I both know that is not an option...Unfortunately." He paused to look her up and down, sighing as he picked up his piece of toast. "You should get dressed. We need to leave and you're making it very difficult for me to be the strong one here."

Mikasa was still in just her panties and a loose top. "Is that a threat?" 

Surely Ymir would just yell. Murdering them in cold blood would ruin the wedding, right? Certainly their lives were safe. She could live with that.

Armin got a glint in his eye. Was he going to descend to her level and give in? Or, he might be scheming up something even worse. 

He had a way of turning these situations around when the mood, or in this case necessity, struck him. He walked toward her slowly, undoing a few of his top buttons along the way. When had he figured that one out? Bastard. Her stomach flipped when he pressed her into the wall and grabbed both her wrists, holding them gently between their chests. It was a hold she could easily break out of, but it was much too enjoyable for that. His face was right next to hers and he spoke in a low, seductive voice that he rarely used.

"If you behave now, we will have much more time later to misbehave." He released her, his demeanor returning to his regular self. He had accomplished his goal and he knew it. 

"Ymir might actually kill us if we are late," he added, voice back to normal. Mikasa sighed, knowing he was right, and went to get dressed. Where that side of Armin came from, she did not know. She liked it very much. 

Instead of her usual underwear, she chose a particularly racy set that she had not yet worn. She hoped that they would not ride up too much as she zipped herself into a dress. His face was going to be priceless. 

A soft knock at the bedroom door and Armin's voice.

"Hey, we need to go get Sasha and Connie. Are you ready? Why do I feel like you're scheming in there?"

She grabbed the suitcase and opened the door.

"You're one to talk."

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Hmm."

They journeyed down to the car. Fortunately, this apartment was only on the second floor. Mikasa had to field two calls from Sasha on the twenty minute drive. Well, one call from Sasha and one call from Connie who had grabbed Sasha's phone. The first call was Sasha panicking on what to wear. The second call was Connie saying that she was really freaking out and to please advise him as to what she should wear before Ymir kills them all for being late. In the end, Mikasa had to sprint into their apartment and shove a dress into Sasha's arms. 

"You know, this was the first dress I tried on earlier." Sasha said as they pulled away. She showed no sign of remorse or second thought. Connie groaned.

"If we're late, I'm using you as a human shield."

"Oh, c'mon, it's just Ymir."

"I'm sorry, were you at dinner last night?"

Sasha shrugged.

-

Music began and conversations stopped abruptly. Mikasa turned to face the back of the aisle with the rest of the congregation.

She had never seen Ymir so positively nervous. She was standing stiffly at the back of the church like a deer in the headlights. Historia stood beside her, looking remarkably calm in comparison. She took Ymir's hand and whispered something in her ear. She had to go on tip toes to do so. Ymir only gave an anxious smile, but whatever Historia had said was evidently enough to inspire motion. They walked slowly together until they reached the preacher. 

Hand in hand, face to face, they recited their vows. Mikasa and Sasha exchanged a surprised glance when they saw Ymir wiping away tears. Historia shed no tears, but simply beamed at Ymir, an unflinching smile across her lips. At the preacher's instruction, they shared their first kiss in matrimony and the crowd clapped. Connie whistled loudly from beside Sasha, who was now crying.

"Are you crying?" Connie asked her once the clapping was dying down.

"I just," she paused, tears streaming, to fish out a new tissue, "really love weddings."

"I thought you didn't want to get married?" Mikasa was sure Sasha had pledged a life of no legal binding to her on multiple drunk ocassions. 

"I don't!" Sasha sobbed, tissue to her face. "They're just so beautiful!"

Connie put his arm around Sasha's shoulder and patted. 

-

Armin laid his head against Mikasa's shoulder as they swayed along to a slow song. 

"Well, being gay doesn't make you hate big, traditional weddings." Armin had said to her moments ago when she had voiced her surprise at the traditional affair. Ymir and Historia had wanted and had had a big, white wedding. 

"Do you think the big wedding is so bad?" He had given her a curious look, then.

She had shrugged. "Not really, no. I was just surprised is all."

She reflected on this as they swayed. She thought she understood what Armin was really asking. Of course, she only managed to blurt out one unedited sentence in response.

"Armin, do you want to get married?"

He pulled back and looked at her with eyebrows raised.

"Mikasa? Are you proposing?"

She was tempted to say yes, but decided against it. His question was partially a joke. The other part was him seriously asking. 

"No."

"So, you're asking if I would want to get married?"

"Yes."

"To you?"

That _was_ what she had been asking. It was sounded a lot scarier when Armin said it out loud. Was it too weird to ask? They had been together nearly three years. The topic of marriage had come up briefly, but neither of them had explicitly asked about marrying the other. 

"Um. Yes. Sorry."

"Mikasa, why are you sorry?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was an odd thing to ask."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I would like to marry you one day."

He kissed her chastely. Pulling away, she still could not speak. She was staring at him. He attempted to lighten the mood.

"I'm still expecting a proper proposal, young lady."

Mikasa laughed and kissed him back. She gave a little tongue this time.

 _"Hey,"_ he breathed when they broke apart. 

The music had changed to an upbeat tempo and so they left for a break and some refreshments. While picking out some delicious little pastry-looking things, Mikasa heard familiar voices.

"What's up, Arlert." Hitch.

"Hey, look who it is!" Reiner.

"Armin." Marlowe, flat toned as usual. Did this mean?

"Hi, Armin." Bertolt.

She turned around to see Armin, anxious, and surrounded by five people. One of them she did not know. She went to stand by his side.

"Mikasa! Good to see you." Reiner smiled broadly at her. Hitch and Marlowe were to his right, Marlowe's arm around her waist. Were they finally together? Bertolt stood to the left with the stranger. He looked familiar, but she was sure that they had not gone to school together.

"Hi, good to see you, too."

"Sorry, you probably haven't met Marcel." Reiner motioned to the stranger. 

Mikasa had a small shock as she realized where she had seen him. He had been with Bertolt that night. The night her and Armin had gone to dinner. The night Armin told her the truth about his breakup with Bertolt. The night she had figured out Armin's feelings for her. Marcel must be Bertolt's date. She held out her hand and they shook.

"Nice to meet you."

There was some small talk, mostly provided by Reiner. Armin had relaxed early into the conversation. There was not any tension between him and Bertolt and she was glad for that. As it turned out, Marcel was Porco's older brother. And as she had suspected, and he and Bertolt were in fact dating. .

"Porco must be thrilled," Armin had said sarcastically. Marcel, Bertolt, and Reiner had all laughed at that. Mikasa could easily envision Porco complaining about the development. After a few minutes, they parted ways, back to their own circles.

Mikasa was experiencing a pleasant champagne buzz and Armin was, too. They laughed and danced together with Sasha and Connie. Jean appeared eventually to join them. They had known he would be late and Historia had insisted he come to the reception anyway. 

Ymir and Historia made it to their group at some point in the night while saying hello to everyone. Ymir seemed to be over her anxiety and tears and had defaulted back to making fun of everyone and staring lovingly at Historia. They danced together and hugged Historia in congratulations. Ymir whispered something into Historia's ear and then they said goodnight to everyone. 

Mikasa smiled and locked eyes with Armin. She was dancing with Sasha. He was nearby, chatting to Jean. He gave her a look akin to this morning. 

_He really is in a mood,_ she thought.

He subtly nodded toward the exit. She nodded and said goodnight to Sasha and Connie. When she walked up to Armin, he played innocent in front of Jean.

"Ready to call it a night?"

Mikasa suppressed a smile. "Yeah, I'm getting pretty tired."

"Ok, we can go. Goodnight, Jean."

"Later." Jean walked over to Connie and Sasha.

Soon, she was walking through the hotel with Armin. They made their way to the elevator, pleasantly chatting about the evening. Armin turned to her when as the doors chimed open.

"Do you remember our first kiss?"

"Hard to forget."

"Very. Do you remember our second kiss?"

She reflected, but was not sure what he was referring to. There had been a lot of kissing following the first.

"No?" His face looked honest, but his eyes had a spark.

She leaned against the back of the elevator and looked at him curiously. What was he getting at? Then, he pressed her into the wall and kissed her deeply. A little moan escaped her. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. 

"Oh. That kiss," she replied breathlessly. The elevator dinged and she followed Armin out to the hall. He gave her a coy look, but neither of them spoke. Their room was getting closer. She was not actually sure what it looked like inside. Armin had brought their bags up earlier himself. He unlocked the door and held it open. 

She held her breath. This was really nice. Armin had handled the reservation, he must have known. She felt fuzzy inside, and not just from champagne. She was sure now that he had done everything today on purpose. From the damn buttons to not letting her help with the bags. He was trying to make it a special night. But, why?

"Armin, what else do you have planned?" She turned around.

He smiled softly. "Nothing, believe it or not."

"Then why all this?"

"Why, what? Why get a room at the hotel our friends got married at?"

"No, you know. The buttons and the dancing and not telling me how nice the room was going to be."

"Buttons?" He looked at her with amusement. She did not know how to ask what she was trying to ask. What was she trying to ask, anyway?

He came to her and put his hands on her shoulders, "I just thought it would be nice. Since you never asked about the room, I thought it would be a pleasant surprise. We haven't really gone anywhere or done anything besides visiting home since we graduated school. As for the buttons, well..." He popped open one on his formal jacket. 

She could not enjoy it. She was spiraling. Why now? It had been such a wonderful day.

"But why? Why be so nice?"

"Mikasa."

She felt tears prickle for no reason at all. She did not deserve it. Unfortunately for her, she was dating a mind reader.

"I didn't do any of this to get something from you, you know that, right? I just wanted it to be nice." Armin sat down beside her, his hand on her knee. They were perched on the stupidly large bed in the hotel suite. She shrugged and scowled at the floor. 

It always happened at the exact wrong moment. Just when things were extra special or going so well, she would feel overwhelmed and guilty. Maybe it was _because_ of how well things were going. It had started happening after they left school. Was it stress? Then again, she did exceptionally well in conventionally stressful situations. To not be under stress was scary in itself. As if she could not let herself be at peace. 

"Hey." Armin's soft voice brought her back to the hotel room. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I can hear you worrying in there."

"It's stupid."

"Do you want to talk?"

She shook her head. No. She just wanted it to go away and to feel like she did in the elevator. 

"Ok. Wait here for a second." Armin left to the bathroom. She was about to ask him what on earth he was doing, but he emerged, carrying a hotel robe.

She sat up, curious. 

"Here, take this. There is a great tub and it's already filling up with water."

"What about -"

"And I have already verified that it is clean. I think even your cousin Levi would sit in it."

She scoffed and let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, ok," Armin smiled, "probably not Levi."

"What about you?"

"I mean, I would sit in it."

"No. What are you going to do?"

"Well, I'll probably just read. There are some new articles Hange sent me to look over before work Monday."

"Will you come with me?" She felt a little better, but his presence was soothing and she could not help but want him to stay with her. Maybe it was selfish.

"I'm sorry, that's silly of me to ask," she mumbled.

"It's not silly, silly." He brushed some hair out of her face and smiled. "But, do I need my reading?"

She nodded. They got up and she went to the bathroom first to get undressed, feeling suddenly shy despite the fact that they lived together. Once fully submerged, she called him in. He lounged on the floor where he could stretch out his legs. The bathroom was large for a hotel and very nice. There was even a separate shower and toilet room. Armin was leaned against the vanity. He had his tablet, his preferred method of consuming Hange's reading recommendations. 

Mikasa sank into the warm water and sighed. As usual, Armin was right. She was feeling better, now, and letting the mood that had gripped her slip away. She wished it would stop happening. She probably should reconsider therapy, but was resisting it. She did not want to need it. Which is exactly why she should go back, probably. But, for now, the bath and Armin's calm presence were making everything alright again. She wondered if it was too late to pick back up where they left off before her anxiety had hit. At that moment, Armin picked up a pair of lacy, black underwear. 

_They practically don't even count as a proper pair of panties, really._ She thought, watching his eyes.

"Are these new?" A hint of excitement was in his voice. 

"Maybe."

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I, um. I was planning to surprise you with them. Before...I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. Really, don't worry about any of that." He gave her a genuine smile and set the thong down. She did not miss the longing glance he spared briefly towards the scrap of fabric. 

"You could join me." Her spirit was starting to return, and the feelings of self-doubt and unnerve were passing. 

Armin very slowly looked up at her from behind the tablet, a spark in his eyes. He glanced at the tub then back to her. His smile was gentle.

"You're feeling ok?"

"Yeah. I'm sor-" she stopped herself mid-word. Armin looked at her, daring her to apologize one more time so that he could tell her to stop saying she was sorry. "Uh, not sorry. I'm not sorry."

He smiled. "Good. You really have nothing to be sorry for, Mikasa."

"I know." She sighed again. "It's just hard to tell my brain that sometimes."

"Yeah, I know." He had put his tablet away and was now kneeling by the tub, his face close to hers. She smiled slyly.

"You know, you're a little over dressed for a bath."

"Maybe I should fix that."

"Maybe you should."

He stood up and began peeling away layers. Suit jacket. Tie, belt. Pants. Button up. He had clearly saved it for after the pants. Mikasa watched, excitement building. Soon he stood before her, very naked. She stared openly.

"You're staring."

"So." She did not look away. He only smiled and slowly began to climb into the tub on the opposite end from her. It was a roomy tub and she had left enough space for extra water displacement. Her heartbeat picked up a little as he lowered himself into the water. 

They sat like that for a moment, looking at each other, before she began slowly shifting so that she could lay against him. He said nothing, but she could hear his breathing change. She could feel something else, too. Careful not to splash, she came chest to chest with him and kissed him sweetly. It felt romantic like this. His hands pulled her onto his lap underwater. She kissed his neck and beneath his chin. His response was both heard and felt. 

She teased him, slowly rolling her hips back and forth. His hair stuck to his forehead, sweaty from the heat of the water. He leaned back and closed his eyes, little noises escaping here and there. She loved seeing him like this. Knowing that she made him feel this way. It reminded her of that week at the beach house. 

They had snuck out in the middle of the night to the beach. They had been in the waves when they first touched each other. But, they had gotten too distracted and got knocked over by a large swell. Laughing, they had made it back to the house, where they showered together and saw each other's bodies for the first time. 

"What are you thinking about?" Armin nuzzled Mikasa's wet hair, snapping her out of her memories. She had stopped moving.

"The beach." She sat back, allowing her top half to be exposed to him. He made a low noise in his throat.

"Which part?" There had been a lot, after all. 

"When we went out to the water in the middle of the night."

He smiled and reached out to touch her breast.

"A very good night."

"Do you want to go to the bed?" She was starting to get tired of the confines of the tub.

His lower half responded for him. Still, he said, "Definitely."

She stepped out onto the bath mat and wrapped a towel around herself. 

"I'll meet you there," she said. He was wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Ok." She heard the anticipation in his voice.

She waited until he had left to enact her plan. It was not too late to show off a little. 

Stepping out of the bathroom, she walked proudly to hang her dress in the compact hotel closet. She had not seen his face yet, but was sure of the result.

It was still more effective than she had predicted. Before she had even turned around, she felt Armin's fingers against her skin. He was undoing the clasp of her bra, then biting her neck. Gasping, she spun around and playfully pushed him. He laughed and so she actually pushed him, onto the bed. She was laughing now, pinning his hands above his head and straddling him. He groaned.

"That's not fair, you know I like that too much." His voice was breathy.

"I can do more." 

They both liked playing up the fact that Mikasa was stronger than him. She liked the way he squirmed underneath her and moaned. They had tried switching roles before, as she had wanted to try it out and thought she could handle it. He had been hesitant due to her past, but agreed to do it if she wanted to try it. It had been very, very hot. That is, until he had actually physically restrained her arms. 

It had ended up with her throwing him off her in a panic. She had spent the rest of the evening nursing a warm tea with honey and a side of bad memories. He had miserably held a bag of frozen peas to where she had kneed him. They agreed that it was off the table. 

It worked out more than alright, though, Mikasa thought as she held Armin to the bed. This was plenty exciting for the both of them. He arched beneath her, bringing low noises out of them both. She ran her fingernails lightly down his arms, down his chest, watching him shudder. 

"Please," he breathed.

She leaned in close to his ear. "What was that?" she whispered.

"Please, Mikasa."

Normally this might have gone on longer. But, between this morning, the bath, and all the anticipation, she did not want to wait either. He groaned as she got off of him. Fishing around for a moment in the suitcase, she found what she was looking for and tossed the little square package his way. He barely caught it, but made quick work of putting the condom on.

"Do you want to take these off?" She motioned to her stringy excuse for panties. Armin wasted no time, his hands on her body in an instant. They fell back onto the bed, lips locked. She rolled over, pulling him on top of her. This, she did not mind, and actually enjoyed his weight against her. As long as they were her directions. She raised her hands above her head. He left his beside her, knowing the drill. No hands in this position. He kissed her neck and collar bone excitedly.

He easily complied when she pushed him back to the bed. They both moaned when she pushed herself onto him. She was lost in his firm touch. Just the right amount of pressure. Soon, she could no longer think. It was just her, just him.

"Arm-ah!" She gasped and collapsed on top of him. He briefly hugged her to him, a tangle of limbs and sweat. She rolled to the bed, eyes closed, exhausted. His weight lifted and she heard the bathroom door. Opening her eyes was far too much work at this moment. 

Armin's weight shifted back onto the bed and he drew the covers over them both. His arm draped lazily over her waist and his head found the nook of her shoulder. He kissed her shoulder softly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Soft snoring followed quickly. He could always fall asleep faster than her. She willed herself to relax into the pleasant position and to enjoy the extra fluffy blankets around her while it lasted. She drifted into a quiet sleep.


	2. Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasha meets the chef. Armin gets a phone call. Fluff before stuff.

Soft humming. Armin lay completely still, afraid to spook Mikasa into silence. She outright refused to sing in front of him ever. He could not help but pretend to still be asleep. She had a wonderful voice, as far as he had gathered.

He had a faint memory of his mother singing that he clung to. Mikasa humming reminded him of that. There was probably some strange connection there, like how they say you date your parents. Was it still true if you did not really remember your parents? Did some part of them embed in his psyche? 

“It’s like I can see your brain moving sometimes.” His eyes blinked open. Mikasa was sitting at the desk in the hotel room, looking at him.

So much for pretending to be asleep.

He was surrounded by cozy blankets and a large number of pillows. How many pillows did a hotel need? Rising slowly, he came to a sitting position, wiping sleep out of his eyes. 

“How long have you been awake,” he asked her, stretching with a yawn.

“Not that long.”

Armin glanced at the suitcase. “Long enough to pack.”

Mikasa shrugged. She looked at him with those soft, gray eyes. He was getting spoiled. She always let him sleep in while she finished a task or made coffee.

“I made some crappy hotel coffee,” she said, as if on queue. 

He put his face into his hands and fell back to the mattress.

“You’re too good to me,” he said from below his palms.

She climbed next to him on the bed. “I remember it being the other way around last night.”

“Are you suggesting that last night was anything besides incredible for me?”

“Incredible, huh?”

“Mikasa,” he said seriously, “you really are.”

“I am what?”

“Incredible.”

A pillow blindsided him.

“Hey!” he laughed, “What was that for?”

“We have to get up for brunch. That was punishment for trying to keep me here with your words.”

“Sasha and Connie could wait a little if that’s what you have in mind.”

Mikasa sighed. “We also have to check out in ten minutes. It’s nearly eleven.” 

“Oh, it’s that late?” Armin climbed out of the bed. Mikasa had already set aside his clothes on the corner of the bed. He slid everything on and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and check his hair. 

As he suspected, it looked totally wild.

 _Your fault,_ he thought, looking at the large tub.

He returned to the main room and picked up their other bag. Mikasa already had the suitcase ready to go and was holding the door open to the hall. Efficient as ever. Which, truthfully, he had always appreciated about her.

The elevator ride down was less exciting than the one up had been. They stifled yawns and sipped their terrible coffees while strangers joined them every few floors. As they exited to the lobby, Sasha called out to them. She and Connie were hanging out in the lounge area, waiting for them.

“Good morning sleepy heads,” she said, smiling. 

Connie gave a half wave. He had his sunglasses on. Armin would be willing to bet Jean was in similar shape. Sasha was probably equally hung over, but no amount of nausea or light sensitivity seemed to ruin her vibe. The only real danger with Sasha was when she was hungry. More accurately, hangry.

“Good morning. Late night?”

Connie nodded his head. Armin chuckled.

“We’ve got to check out. Watch our bags?” Mikasa set down the suitcase. Armin followed her lead with their duffle. It was more packing than they usually did, but their formal wear took up most of the suitcase. 

They walked together to the front desk. Armin preemptively pulled out their key cards. When he looked up he saw Reiner and Bertolt also checking out. The desk next to theirs was the only one available. 

“Good morning,” Armin said as they came to stand beside the two tall men. 

“Morning, Armin. Mikasa.” Reiner smiled, but looked tired. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” they both said.

“That’s good. We were up kind of late. You should have heard the couple next door to us.”

“Oh?” Armin smirked. “What floor are you guys?”

“Floor six, room six fifty-two.” Bertolt yawned as he said it.

 _Room six fifty-two?_ But, they had not heard anything like that and they had been in room-

“Six fifty-three?” the hotel staff called from behind the desk, picking up the room keys that Armin had handed him. “You’re good to go.”

Armin felt his whole neck go red. It must be up to his ears. He glanced at Mikasa and saw a blush across her cheeks. Reiner and Bertolt stared down at them, wide eyed. Bertolt had a second hand blush just from looking at them. 

Reiner burst out laughing. Even Bertolt started chuckling. They said nothing more, walking away from Armin and Mikasa, still smiling. He faintly heard Reiner say,

“It’s always the quiet ones. Right, _Bert_?” And then they were gone around a nearby corner. 

Armin was hoping the earth might swallow him whole. Mikasa tugged his elbow and so instead of disintegrating they had to walk back to Sasha and Connie. 

“What was that about, Mika?”

“Nothing.” Mikasa said quickly. 

“Armin?” Connie tried.

“Nothing.” Armin echoed. 

Sasha looked curious but said no more. Armin and Mikasa did not budge once they were a united front. 

“Ok, well whatever that was, can we please get some fucking brunch now? I’m sooo hungry.” 

“Dude, didn’t you already eat breakfast?” Connie looked at her from over his sunglasses.

“That was, like, 4 hours ago.” 

Connie said no more. He stood up and stretched. Sasha got up, too. They made their way outside, through the parking lot, to the car. 

“Where to, Sasha?” Armin took out his phone, ready to put it into GPS.

“It’s a new place not far from here. Here, I already have it up.” She passed her device to Mikasa, who put it on the dash phone holder. 

“Is Jean coming?” Mikasa twisted to face Sasha. 

“Nah, he said he was going home to sleep more.”

Soon, Armin was pulling into the parking spot. The restaurant looked small and not too busy. 

“This is the place?” Connie sounded skeptical.

“Yes, relax, Connie. It’s supposed to be delicious.”

They were seated immediately and ordered a round of water, coffee, and drinks. The table was too divided to order a carafe, so they each got their own. Mikasa and Sasha were team Bloody Mary. Armin and Connie: team Mimosa. 

Armin watched Mikasa pour over the menu. She caught him with the corner of her eye and smiled. He tapped her foot with his.

Sasha interrupted, “Ok, you two, the waiter is coming and I am not waiting to order so I hope you’re ready.” 

Armin scrambled to pick out something good looking on the menu. On the bright side, he was not that picky. 

“Alright, what can I get everyone today?” The waitress pulled out her notepad and held her pen at the ready. Sasha began.

“Ok, so I’ll get the eggs benedict, an extra side of bacon, and the side of coffee cake.” 

The waitress jotted it down. “And will you be sharing?” She looked between Sasha and Connie. Sasha looked offended. Connie jumped in before she could say anything in response.

“No, I’m going to get an eggs benedict, too. And also some extra bacon.”

“Same,” Armin passed back his menu.

“I’ll take the eggs and toast.” Mikasa also handed her menu back. The waitress glanced one more time at Sasha before walking away with a quick,

“Kay, it’ll be right out.” 

Mikasa tapped Armin’s foot back once. Sasha and Connie did most of the talking. Sasha was devolving into hanger, though, and growing weirdly quiet as time passed. Armin stole glances at Mikasa who was gazing out the window. People strolled by on the other side of the glass. 

Luckily, hot plates were soon placed before them. Sasha wasted no time, immediately attacking her food. 

“Jesus Christ,” she managed to somehow be intelligible through the mouthful of food, “This is incredible!”

Connie rolled his eyes at Sasha and stabbed a stray potato.

“No, no, really!” Sasha had swallowed now, at least. Armin raised an eyebrow.

“Ugh, no, seriously. This is art.” She pointed dramatically with her fork.

“It’s just eggs,” Mikasa said flatly.

Sasha slammed her fork down. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Excuse me, is everything alright?” Armin looked up from the spectacle that was Sasha. Someone from the restaurant was standing by the table, looking concerned. Was he a manager?

“Everything is _excellent_ , sir, thank you.”

“Oh, well, good. You are enjoying the food then?”

The table all mumbled a variation of yes, but Sasha launched into a tangent about the consistency of the eggs. Armin smiled at Mikasa who rolled her eyes. He went back to his own food. If nothing else, Sasha was right that it was very tasty.

The man handed Sasha a business card and then walked away. 

“Holy shit.” Sasha stared at the rectangle of card stock.

“What?” Connie leaned over to read the card. “Oh, damn.”

“What?” Now Armin was curious.

“He’s head chef here. Oh my god.” Sasha gazed into the food. “I didn’t even thank him for the food.”

“Well, you didn’t know. Let me see.” Mikasa reached for the card. Sasha handed it over. Mikasa flipped it over, inspecting the back.

“He also left you his cell phone number.”

“What?” Sasha hissed. “Me?”

“Yeah, look.” Mikasa handed the card back.

Sasha stared for a moment, but then took out her phone and copied the contact in.

“Are you going to text him?” Connie had a mixed expression on his face.

Sasha shrugged. “He was pretty cute. Maybe.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s that about?” Sasha looked irritated. Armin was also a little surprised. Connie had never acted strangely to men flirting with Sasha before. Although, she did not typically act on it.

“Just be careful. We don’t know this guy. That’s all.” Connie smiled genuinely.

“Connie, I’m not going to go meet him in a dark alley by myself.”

_bzzz.bzzz.bzzz._

Armin’s phone was coming to life on the table. It was his uncle’s number.

“I should take this.” Armin stood quickly, walking out of the loud space. He answered just before the phone stopped ringing. “Hello?”

“Armin.”

“Is everything ok?” His uncle did not usually call him. The only thing they had in common was taking care of Armin’s grandfather.

“It’s… not the worst. Your grandpa is in the hospital.”

Armin felt his body tense up.

“What happened?”

“They’re not sure. They think it may be something with his heart or something like that. I took him in and they wanted to keep him for testing.”

“Ok. I’ll come home as soon as I can.”

“I don’t think you need to do that, they said everything was looking ok for now.”

“Still. Thanks for calling. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”

His uncle said ok and goodbye and then it was over. Armin slumped into a nearby cafe chair for outside dining. His grandfather should be ok. What if he was not ok? Armin hated watching his grandfather aging. Completely helpless against time. He was practically Armin’s father, but he would lose him one day just like his actual father. Who would be next? Mikasa? Eren? 

_You can’t think like that._ He closed his eyes and made himself take deep breaths. He was overthinking again. The only thing he needed to do right now is talk to Mikasa and check flight options. 

A gentle hand was suddenly on his back. 

“Let’s go home. I’ll drive.”

Mikasa. Of course she had already figured out something was wrong. 

“What about Sasha and Connie?”

“They’ll call a ride, don’t worry.”

Armin sighed and slowly stood up. Mikasa walked around to stand facing him. She put his hands on his shoulders and squeezed. 

They walked back to the car in silence. Mikasa drove them home in silence. They proceeded to research flights, in near silence.

"I'm going with you," Mikasa had said.

He had begun to protest. "You don't have to."

"You're right. I don't have to."

But, as always, she was going to be there. It was unspoken. They had loved each other long before falling in love. They had both lost parents. Neither of them could allow the other to suffer it alone.


	3. Sweater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa and Armin spend some time with Mr. Arlert.

Mikasa scrolled through old photos on her phone. She smiled at one of her friends from the clinic. They were eating her birthday cake. Mina always wore the cutest scrubs to work, Mikasa thought. It had only been a few months ago. A lot of her photos were of Armin and Sasha. She felt a little tingle when she came across an old one. Sasha had sent it to their group chat recently.

It was a photo that Sasha had asked a stranger at a bar to take of all of them. Mikasa and Armin’s relationship had been new at that time. They all smiled at the camera, arms around each others’ shoulders. That night, she and Armin had come home early to the apartment they shared with Sasha and Ymir. That night, neither Sasha or Ymir would be home. They had been so shy back then, carefully undressing each other. Their first time.

Armin leaned his head on her shoulder. “I remember that night.”

She tilted her head onto his and enjoyed the moment before saying, “How are you feeling?”

“Not too bad. Better than usual, for sure.”

Mikasa had urged Armin to ask his doctor about medicine for his anxiety with flying. Armin had been skeptical, but followed her request anyway. It sounded like he was glad for it now, though.

“Good.”

“It helps that it’s a smooth flight this time.”

Armin was referring to their last plane ride. It had been particularly turbulent. Mikasa had spent most of it rubbing Armin’s back and glaring every time the third person on their row looked at them funny.

The descent was always the most difficult part. This time seemed like an improvement, though, because all Armin did was squeeze her hand and lean back in his seat. He even kept his eyes open when the wheels touched down. She gave his hand a squeeze then let go so she could repack her carry-on. She was grateful for the relatively peaceful transport. Being there was going to be stressful enough as it was. 

Armin had not spoken much about the situation, but Mikasa could read the worry on his face. Luckily, both of their bosses had no issue with their last minute time off requests. Well, Hange was Armin’s boss, and Hange had never been interested in any kind of paperwork that was not directly related to an experiment. They had only asked Armin to please, please bring back some samples of local flora for their freshman students and told him to call it a work trip. 

Mikasa was not scheduled for a few days, so she probably would not even need to take the time. Regardless, she had notified her boss, who had assured her that it was no issue at all. 

-

Carla had graciously offered them a ride when Mikasa had called to let her know they were going to be in town. They slid into the car and thanked her. Mikasa rode shotgun next to Carla with Armin in the back.

“Have you heard from Eren, yet?” Carla asked Armin.

“I got a voicemail from him saying he would call tonight. His schedule is pretty busy.”

“Don’t I know it.” Carla sighed but smiled sweetly. “Will you be at the hospital later?”

“Probably. I don’t know how much company my grandfather has had.” Armin looked out the window after he said it. Armin had told her once that he reminded his uncle too much of his mother, and that he had always avoided him since the accident. They probably would not see him now that they were in town. Mikasa had only met him once, long before university.

“Well,” Carla smiled into the mirror, “Grisha is working tonight and I was going to drop off dinner. I was thinking I could bring some extra food if you would like.”

Mikasa smiled. “That would be really nice, thank you.”

“I expect your grandfather will be on the hospital diet, or else I would bring some for him, too.” Carla said to Armin.

“Thank you, Mrs. Yeager, that’s alright. And thank you for the food.”

“Don’t thank me yet! For all you know it will be a terrible casserole.”

Armin scoffed and Mikasa smiled.

“I doubt that, Carla. You couldn’t make something bad if you tried.”

“Then, how do you account for Eren?” Armin said, joking. It almost felt like old times.

Carla and Mikasa laughed. Mikasa turned to Armin. “You’re forgetting that Grisha is also in that equation.” Even Carla chuckled before glancing fondly at Mikasa.

“Eren always was a live one. Even before he was born he was a difficult child. I’m so glad the three of you are close, though, even with him gone. When he first joined the army I was so nervous.”

Armin and Mikasa just nodded, unsure of how to respond.

Carla cleared her throat. “Has Eren talked to either of you about a girl?”

“No,” Mikasa said immediately. 

“Has he talked to you about a girl?” Armin leaned forward in his seat.

“Maybe I shouldn’t say.”

Mikasa looked at Carla, waiting. Carla was never very good at keeping gossip to herself. As predicted, she kept going.

“Well, she sounds like she’s as much a handful as he is, if you could believe that.”

“Are they dating?” Armin was incredulous. 

“I’m not sure that anything is official. But I really shouldn’t say anymore. You should ask him when he calls.”

“Do you know her name,” Mikasa asked.

“My, you two are nosy.” Carla feigned annoyance. “Maybe I should be asking you the questions. Like, when am I going to see a wedding announcement?”

“Carla,” Mikasa groaned. She saw Armin roll his eyes in the rearview mirror. He was also smiling, though. 

They pulled up to Armin’s house and up the drive. Carla waited while they dropped their luggage off in the Armin’s old room. At the top of the stairs, Armin pulled Mikasa into a hug.

“Thank you for coming with me,” he said.

“Of course,” she replied. 

They returned to the car. Mikasa, with Armin’s help, had selected a few books and DVDs to take with them and had them stashed away in her purse. She slid back into the passenger seat.

“Thank you again for driving us, Carla,” Armin said.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. It’s so nice to see both of you.”

Carla said no more about Eren’s mystery woman for the duration of the drive. Mikasa wondered who could be crazy enough to get into a relationship with Eren? It was ironic, sure, because she had liked Eren once. But, the more time passed, the more she wondered how much of that was liking Eren or wanting to be needed. Eren certainly seemed to be back to his hard-headed, independent self these days. Whoever had captured his attention must be equally stubborn.

Carla pulled up to the main entrance. Armin and Mikasa thanked her again and let themselves out, promising to say hello to Grisha if they saw him. It was a small town and he was likely to be one of two to three doctors on shift right now. Their chances of seeing him in the halls at some point were not unlikely. Mikasa would be willing to bet that he had been checking in on Mr. Arlert while he was there. 

“Hard to imagine Eren in a relationship,” Armin commented as they walked through the halls.

Mikasa nodded. “I know what you mean.” 

They arrived at the room. Armin double checked the room number and knocked lightly. They did not hear anything, so Armin eased the heavy door open. There was snoring and a quiet stream of television in the background. When they walked into the room, Mr. Arlert stirred from his nap.

“Hey, grandfather.” Armin sat in a chair nearby the bed. Mikasa stood nearby.

“Armin. I thought that might be you.” He craned his neck to see Mikasa more clearly. “Mikasa! So nice to see you.” Mikasa leaned in to gently shake the hand he offered her.

“Can you tell who he likes better?” Armin smiled at her. She was glad he was still joking around, but she could also see nervousness in his eyes. She smiled back at him and then at his grandpa.

“It’s nice to see you, too, sir. How are you feeling?” 

“I’m ok. Doctor says I should be out tonight.”

Mikasa hmm’d. “May I see?” She motioned to the stack of papers on his bedside. His hand shook a little as he moved to hand them to her. Armin looked like he wanted to do it for him, but restrained himself. She looked over the notes and asked him some questions.

“Ah, Mikasa. Checking for errors?” Grisha strolled into the room. Armin stood to shake his hand. 

“Of course, not, Grisha.” She set the papers down on a nearby table and grinned. Grisha squeezed her shoulder and then turned to the bed.

“Ok, Mr. Arlert. It looks like you have some atrial fibrillation going on. I’m prescribing you a new medication that should do the trick. You should also try to walk a little more when you’re feeling up to it, the exercise may help.”

“A-what, Grisha?”

“Atrial fibrillation. Afib, for short. An abnormal heart rhythm. Mikasa, can you help go over his medication with him tonight if I give you the paperwork?”

“Of course.” Mikasa accepted the folder Grisha had been carrying.

“Now, as I understand, Carla is coming to drop off dinner for us all soon. I’m sure she would be more than happy to help you all home.”

“Thank you, Mr. Yeager.”

“Armin, you’re welcome to call me Grisha.”

“Ok. Thank you.” 

Grisha paused to shake Mr. Arlert’s hand and then stepped briskly from the room. He was off to visit his next patient, no doubt. Mikasa glanced over the folder he had given her and said to Armin,

“If we place the order now, you and I can probably go pick this up later tonight. There’s still that pharmacist near your house, right?”

Armin nodded. “Yeah, ok.”

“Ok. I’ll call it in, I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” 

Mikasa nodded and pulled her phone out. Armin’s own phone rang as she waited for the pharmacy to pick up. 

“It’s Eren,” Armin said to her before taking the call.

At first, she was not listening since she was busy requesting the prescription. As soon as she hung up, she tuned back in to Armin’s side of the phone call.

“No, he’s ok, he’s being discharged. Your mom is going to give us a ride home. Speaking of, she mentioned you might be seeing someone?” A long pause. 

“Annie? As in Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie? What do you mean she knocked you on your ass?” Armin’s grandfather grunted at the swear word. Armin mouthed ‘sorry’ before returning to the phone call. Mikasa could hear Eren’s voice but she could not make out any clear words besides Armin’s. 

“Sure, we would love to have you visit us. Well, actually, I’ve already met her. No, I don’t think Mikasa has. Yeah, at a party years ago. I don’t know her or anything though. Ok, here’s Mikasa.” He held the phone out. Mikasa grabbed it.

“Hi, Eren.”

“Mikasa!”

“So you’re going to visit?”

“Yeah, I’d like to. I also want to bring Annie.”

“So you are dating someone?”

“Um, yeah.” She was surprised to hear Eren sounding almost sheepish.

“Sure, we would love to meet her. Well, I guess Armin has already.”

“That’s awesome. We’ll talk later about details. I’ve got to go.”

“Ok sounds good.”

“Ok, talk to you later. Give Armin a kiss for me!” She could hear Eren chuckle as he hung up the phone. 

She smirked and handed Armin’s phone back. “Eren says to give you a kiss from him.” 

“That boy... I’m glad it’s Mikasa you brought home.” Mr. Arlert spoke up. Armin blushed and Mikasa stifled a laugh.

“What’s wrong with Eren?” Armin was teasing now. His grandfather liked Eren ok, but found him to be a little loud at times. 

Mr. Arlert huffed and did not deign to answer the question verbally. Mikasa remembered the books in her purse.

“I almost forgot. We brought you some books. I also have some DVDs if you want to watch something while we wait for Carla.”

“Oh, bless you. When are you going to join the family?”

Mikasa smiled and handed him three books to choose from. First Carla and now him. Everyone had been asking about this for the past two years, but it felt more frequent the past six months. Carla had been so bold to suggest grandchildren at Christmas, to which Mikasa, Armin, and Eren all groaned loudly. 

She loved Armin in more ways than one, but it felt too soon to have to decide. It sounded stressful and difficult to plan, as evidenced by Historia and Ymir. Granted, she did not see her and Armin having such a large affair as that. 

“Let’s put a DVD on, Mikasa.” Armin pulled the three cases out of her purse. “What do you think?”

“Oh, I’m ok with whatever.”

“Ok.” Armin smiled and selected the last one. He got up to hunt for the disc drive near the hospital room television. She liked that he was decisive about these things. He never seemed to mind if she could not choose a movie or a restaurant and would just pick one for them.

Mikasa sat down on the small couch at the edge of the room. Mr. Arlert was already lost in his book. Armin sat down with the remote and nestled into her side. She let her arm slip around his waist, careful to not get too handsy. Armin’s grandfather thought of her as a well-mannered young lady. It was old-fashioned, but she liked that he approved of her and she wanted to maintain her reputation. She suppressed a grin.

 _I’m not very “lady-like” with your grandson._ She was thinking about the other night, holding Armin down while he moaned her name. Her stomach knotted. 

_Not the time._ She admonished herself and cleared her head. Armin may not show it at this moment, but she could feel the tension under his calm surface. 

Halfway through the movie, Carla appeared in the door. 

“Hello, all.” She was cheerful as always, coming in to give Mr. Arlert a hug.

“Carla, what a pleasure. I hear you’re our ticket out of here.”

“Ah, you heard correctly. I also brought food. But, that’s in the car. I was thinking you would all prefer to eat at home. The hospital is so,” She frowned, glancing around, “sterile. Honestly, I don’t know how Grisha stands it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” he grunted a little, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Mikasa instinctively went to help him up. Armin had always said her choice to become a nurse had made too much sense.

Mr. Arlert accepted her hand. She helped pull him up and handed him his cane, but kept one hand at his other side. She saw Armin watching nervously and tried to give him a reassuring look. She walked slowly next to his grandpa who was now grumbling to Carla about the lackluster quality of hospital fare. Carla laughed and agreed with him. 

Mikasa thought that where Grisha was stern and short-spoken, Carla was soft and patient. Carla was slow to anger and had an easy presence. It reflected an inner strength that Mikasa admired. They might not be mother and daughter, but Mikasa was grateful for their relationship. In many ways, Carla _was_ a mother to her. Over the years Mikasa had also learned to lean on her, calling to check in and talk regularly. It had taken time to allow herself this vulnerability.

She carefully helped Mr. Arlert into Carla’s car before sliding next to Armin in the back seat. He was growing quieter as the evening went on. Carla chatted happily with her new passenger the whole drive, sensing that the back seat was not particularly keen on conversation at the moment.

Arriving at their house, Mikasa once again helped Armin’s grandpa get from point A to B. Point B in this case was his regular chair in the living room. Armin helped Carla bring in the bags and food. They thanked her a few more times and she hugged them goodbye. 

They ate quickly and said little. It had been a long day and all three were tired. Armin said he would go get the medication from the store and for Mikasa to go unpack. She was tempted to argue but realized he might just want some time to think. She said goodnight to both Arlerts and made her way up to the bedroom.

Mikasa showered and changed into something comfortable. She was sure Armin would be back by now. He was probably helping his grandfather into bed. It was taking a while, and she wondered if she should go help.

No, she thought. They should have some time. Maybe they were talking. She checked her phone to see some texts from Sasha.

 **Sasha:** 1\. I hope Armin’s grandpa is doing alright. 2. I have a date with Nicolo

 **Sasha:** Nicolo is the chef from brunch

 **Sasha:** He’s taking me to dinner tomorrow.

 **Mikasa:** He’s doing ok, we’re home now. Have you warned Nicolo about the bill?

 **Sasha:** Ha. Ha.

 **Sasha:** But yes. And glad you’re home.

 **Mikasa:** Lol. What did he say?

 **Sasha:** To eat as much as my heart desired

 **Sasha:** It might be love

 **Mikasa:** Let me know how it goes.

 **Sasha:** Obviously

Mikasa smiled to herself and plopped onto the bed. It was only a full size, but she and Armin preferred his old room to the guest room. She scrolled a bit through some apps, humming nothing in particular, just waiting for Armin to come to bed.

To her unpleasant surprise, he soon burst through the door. His face was red and he was balling up a sweater in his hands. Had he had that earlier? Had she ever seen him so angry?

“Armin?” She said softly.

He threw the sweater on the floor and shoved back his hair before hiding his face in his hands. His shoulders began to shake and he sat defeatedly on the bed, back to her. Something inside her clenched painfully when he let out a sob. 

She was beside him in an instant, pulling him into her arms. He resisted for only a moment before flinging his arms around her. His face was buried in her chest and he gripped her tightly. It hurt her to bear witness to and she felt like a hypocrite. She had done her fair share of tears between them, while Armin had hardly shed any. To see him like this filled her with an irrational desire to make it go away. But, there was nothing she could do, and she knew that.

As the heaving shoulders began to calm, she smoothed his hair and pulled him closer.

She spoke quietly. “Did something happen?”

His voice was thick and sticky from congestion, but he said, “His will.”

“What?” Mikasa was concerned but also a little confused. 

“His will, he wanted me to read it. While…” Armin glanced away, scowling. “While he was still alive.”

“Ok.” It made sense to Mikasa. Surely Armin had been expecting that a will would come up one day? Armin said nothing, so she probed a little.

“It’s just to prepare, right? Lots of people have one even when they’re young and healthy, don’t they?”

Armin’s red-rimmed, blue eyes pierced her as he slowly turned to look at her.

“He kept repeating about not being around much longer. He mentioned my parents and how he had hoped to give them this house. How…” Armin looked away, “how he wants me to have it when he’s gone. That he was leaving it to me.”

Silence stood between them. What could Mikasa say to that? But, Armin kept going.

“I told him to take his medicine and to just get some sleep. I mean, he’s not that old. Mr. Yeager wasn’t even concerned at the hospital. How could he talk like this? I just. I don’t want to think about losing him.”

“I know.” Mikasa curled her fingers into his hair. She did know. She wished neither of them knew. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s ok. There’s nothing to apologize for.” She reached up and touched his face. 

And then he was kissing her. It was a desperate kiss, a passionate kiss. They were falling back to the bed and her face was in his hands. She pressed her body against his, feeling kindled by his sudden heat. His hands moved to her body, seeking her skin. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his forehead into hers.

“Promise me I won’t lose you.”

“Armin?”

“That we’ll have each other. Even if we weren’t together, that we would stay friends. I can’t lose you, too.”

“I promise,” she breathed. “And, we have Eren. And Sasha and Connie. Jean, Historia, Ymir. All like our own family, right?”

He kissed her once more, softer now. She leaned into it, sighing when he broke away. He slowly got up from the bed. She sat on her elbows, watching as he picked up the sweater he had rejected earlier.

“Is that yours?” Mikasa thought it did not look like any of his sweaters.

“No. Well, it is now, I guess. It was my father’s.” He held it in his open palms, studying the well-worn knitwear. “My grandfather said he wanted me to have it. He didn’t have much family, either, you know?” 

Armin looked up at her. “His mom had died of cancer. His father was never in the picture. My grandfather received his few belongings when my parents died. He kept this one thing, he said. He told me that it had been my father’s favorite and that he used to wear it when he went out with my mother.” His lips turned up just a little.

Mikasa had wondered before about Armin’s father’s family, but Armin had always been hesitant to talk about it and she had never pushed. She did not know much about her family at all, having known no extended relatives. It caused her to be strangely curious about people’s family history. 

Armin carefully folded the sweater and placed it gently on his old desk. He sniffled and wiped away some snot with his own shirt sleeve. 

Mikasa patted the bed next to her. Armin shut off the light and crawled in beside her. She snuggled into his chest.

“I’m sure your grandfather will be ok. And I’m not going anywhere.” 

He wrapped one arm around her and let out a long breath. They both said goodnight and, not for the first time, allowed sleep to wash away fears of loss.


	4. Two Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panic Cleaning & Stubborn Love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, just a little more arumika fun...

Armin scrubbed as if his life depended on it at a particularly difficult stain on their counter which had eluded his and Mikasa’s cleaning efforts since moving into the apartment. Now, against all odds, her cousin was coming to their humble apartment for dinner.

Levi made Armin nervous. Erwin also made Armin nervous. Levi and Mikasa got along splendidly in a silent, not talking kind of way. Armin felt that he was being constantly evaluated by the man. Mikasa insisted that Levi liked Armin, but it was not particularly obvious to Armin.

Erwin, however, was something else entirely. He was tall, outgoing, talkative. Levi’s polar opposite. Not to mention, completely gorgeous. Armin would never think of him in _that_ way, but it still made him feel sort of flustered when Erwin would lean in and ask him a question. He would always ask Armin about work with Hange, who was old friends with the two men.

“Thirty minutes!” Mikasa called from the bathroom. 

Armin put his elbow into it, so close to ridding their home of this mark of shame less than the width of a dime. He frantically wiped down everything else. He had cleaned the kitchen already, but a second pass could not hurt. He stepped back to observe his work. Could he see the faintest discoloration where the stain had been? No, he was seeing things.

He gathered up the rags, depositing them in the wash. Mikasa was close behind with her own supplies, quickly, but neatly, assorting things back to their shelf. She spared him a quick peck on the cheek.

Returning to the living room, he saw he had left some books on the end table. He hastily scooped them up and turned to locate the S section. 

He yelped. Mikasa had snuck up on him and pinched his ass. He spun around to grab her, but it was too late. She was starting to get away. However, the couch was just to her right and he formed a quick plan.

“Ah!” She yelled as he tackled her to the cushions. But somehow she was already on top of him and had flipped him onto his back. She was laughing. Damn her weight training. He tried to wriggle free, but was completely trapped. Although she was fairly serious a majority of the time, Mikasa loved a good game. Teasing him in this way, so close to guests arriving, got her excited

In a move of desperation, he shoved his hips up between her legs which straddled him, hoping to distract her. It backfired as she obviously enjoyed the display and bore down in response. This only caused his blood to rush to the wrong head. He heard himself groan loudly.

Her flushed face hovered over his, hair falling around them in a dark curtain. He blinked dreamily and stared into her eyes. The moment was making him feel light headed. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said, voice thick.

“You started it,” he accused.

She captured his lips in hers and ground herself against him. He knew they were getting carried away, but he could not think straight. Instead of suggesting they calm themselves before Levi and Erwin showed up, he dryly thrust against her. Her tongue was in his mouth and his hands were up her shirt. 

A loud knock at the door tore them apart. She scrambled off of him and began combing fingers through her hair. The interruption was doing a decent job of taking care of his erection, but nothing would hide the pinkness of his cheeks.

A second knock. Shit. He made a last minute attempt at smoothing his hair as Mikasa opened the door.

“Levi, Erwin, please come in.” Her voice was a little shaky. 

Levi walked in, eyes darting between Armin and Mikasa.

“You better not have fucked anywhere I’m going to sit.”

Smart ass.

Erwin followed Levi’s gaze, smiling almost too genuinely. “Ah, young love.”

“Is that what you’re calling it? You’re too romantic, Erwin.”

Armin and Mikasa were used to this banter between the two. Too bad it was in reference to him and her very nearly fucking where Levi would probably sit at some point.

“Oh, am I?” Erwin grinned devilishly at his partner. Armin could swear Levi had a slight tone of pink on his cheeks. Armin’s mind was instantly filled with an image of Erwin and Levi sharing a passionate kiss. 

_Gross, that’s Mikasa’s cousin._ Armin frowned involuntarily, wanting his mind to be out of this gutter. 

“I’m sorry, how rude of us.” Erwin reached to shake Mikasa’s hand, followed by Armin’s. Levi scoffed and began unpacking food on the counter. 

It had all begun a few hours ago when Levi called to cancel at the last minute. Armin and Mikasa had been scheduled to visit for dinner, but Levi informed them that he had spied a singular, large cockroach and was already making preparations to bug bomb. Erwin had joined the conversation then, apologizing for the late cancellation. Mikasa had blurted out, “You can come to our place,” before realizing what it was she was saying. To their horror, Erwin had graciously accepted.

Armin followed Levi’s line of sight, which had settled on the ex-stain. Levi narrowed his eyes, but then resumed tending to the food. They had brought take out from their favorite restaurant, since they had already placed the order before the sighting of the “disgusting fucking piece of shit.” Levi’s words.

So, here they were, sitting at the table and pretending that no one present were sexual creatures of any kind. Armin thought it was on track to be a normal family dinner. As they made small talk and tucked in to the wonderful food, he thought it was actually quite pleasant.

“Armin, how is your grandfather doing? Levi tells me you and Mikasa visited recently.” Erwin was sincere, and could not have known it was a difficult topic. Armin swallowed and tried to smile.

“He’s doing ok,” Armin lied. The truth was that his grandfather had begun declining quickly. His hospital visit had been some sort of premonition. It made Armin angry to think about. Plenty of older people had to visit the hospital for some reason or another and were not plunged into a downward spiral. 

Erwin met his eyes. He smiled and said, “That’s good,” but Armin thought he saw something else there, too. Pity? No, not pity. Perhaps it was simply a knowing concern.

“It’s shitty when people get old.” It was in Levi’s odd way, but it was his own show of support.

“Yeah,” Armin agreed.

Erwin tactfully changed the subject and passed out dessert. 

- **Four weeks later** -

Armin passed around a plate of cookies. Annie took one and Eren took two. 

“Armin, what time is our flight again?” Eren mumbled through a mouthful of cookie.

“Ten fifteen,” Armin and Annie said at the same time.

“Mikasa, why can’t you come?”

“Swallow your food, Eren. Because, I have work.”

Eren swallowed. “Lame.”

Mikasa rolled her eyes. Armin yawned.

“We don’t have to keep you up,” Annie said politely. 

“Yeah, Annie and I can work an air mattress just fine.” Eren smiled and tried to put his arm around her. Annie dodged and elbowed Eren in the side.

“Ow, hey.” He was smiling, though. 

Armin still was not used to the sight. He had not seen Annie since that party. It had been so long ago. It felt surreal that this connection to Reiner and Bertolt was here, and she was dating his best friend. Annie was quiet, and Eren was loud, but they were both incredibly stubborn. 

Armin did not know Annie as well as he knew Eren, but he could tell she was also plenty independent. Eren probably liked her for that exact reason. Like a never ending chase for him. It was pretty late, so Armin and Mikasa agreed to say goodnight. 

Armin was brushing his teeth and nearly swallowed his toothpaste when Mikasa leaned on the counter and said,

“If you’re interested, I have a little something for you.”

Armin rinsed his mouth. He gave her a quizzical look. 

“I just thought, we could have a little fun before you go.” Mikasa studied him. He did not miss her meaning.

He could tell she was interested and that she was also trying to hold back. She was asking if he was emotionally interested, considering the circumstances of his departure.

He would be returning home with Eren. Eren was bringing Annie to meet his parents. Armin was going to be with his grandfather. His uncle would be working long shifts soon and his grandfather was doing worse each day he had said. Armin was scared about how much time was left. 

Armin pushed these thoughts back. He wanted Mikasa. Needed Mikasa. For one night, it could all be alright.

“What about Eren and Annie?”

She leaned closer. “You’ll have to be quiet.”

He felt heat begin to build in the back of the throat.

“Won’t you have to be quiet, too?”

“Yes.” Her face was close to his. He leaned forward to close the gap.

She placed her fingers against his lips. Her eyes were playful. She shook her head ‘no,’ and said,

“Did I say you could kiss me?” 

Armin swallowed hard. One of _those_ nights. It had been a while since they had done this. It was going to be especially challenging to stay quiet. 

She left the bathroom silently, not looking back. He let out the breath he had been holding. He could not resist touching himself for a moment in anticipation.

He breathed in and opened the door, ready to cross the hall to what awaited in the bedroom. Eren was standing just on the other side, startling Armin.

“Oh, sorry. Just need to pee.” 

“Here,” Armin stepped quickly out of his way. 

Eren disappeared into the bathroom. Armin eased the bedroom door open and slipped inside. The only source of light was pale moonlight from their window. Mikasa lounged casually on the bed in her bathrobe. His chest felt heavy with anticipation. 

He slowly approached the bed. An unsettling thought crossed his mind. Was it wrong? Wrong to let this be a distraction? To let go at a time like this?

“You’re worrying.” Mikasa looked at him steadily. 

Armin sat on the edge of the bed. Mikasa crawled over and slid her arms around him from behind. 

“It’s ok for you to not worry twenty-four seven.” 

“Shouldn’t I? Who knows what time is left.” 

“And that means that you’re not allowed to be happy?”

Armin did not reply. He knew she was right. But the closer his return trip home came, the more anxious he became. 

“Hey,” she said softly, “do you want to go to sleep? I’ll rub your back.”

“No.” He did not want to sleep. 

“What do you want?” She ran her fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck. He shuddered as her fingernails grazed his skin.

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“What I want.” 

He heard her breath and felt it hot on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her. No one would ever understand like she could. Maybe it had drawn them together. Some kind of longing. 

No, a need. A need to be understood. And here he was, life entwined with Mikasa of all people. How long had he loved her?

She tentatively began to unbutton his shirt, still reaching around from behind him. A small, foreign noise escaped from his own throat. 

“Is this what you want?” She whispered. A last request for permission. 

“Yes,” he whispered back, barely audible. 

He felt a nibble at his ear and steady hands slid onto his chest. Suddenly his shirt was being taken off his shoulders. He tried to twist, wanting to capture her lips. Her arms caught him and she escaped his kiss.

Her voice appeared in the opposite ear. “Do you still want me to be in charge?”

If he said yes, he would be giving his body to her for the night in full. 

“Yes,” he breathed.

She gently tugged his hair, pulling his head back slightly. He gasped and suppressed a groan. Quiet. He had to be quiet.

Her tone changed from one of support to one of command. “Yes, _what?_ ” 

_Fuck._ Heat built in his stomach and below.

“Yes, _ma’am._ ”

He felt her release him, but he could not move. Would not move. When she pulled his shoulders to the bed he fell back willingly. Her mouth was on his neck, a hint of teeth present. He was already struggling to maintain a low volume. A whine of disapproval escaped him when her presence disappeared. 

“Sit up.” 

He did as he was told. In the moonlight he could see her robe slipping away. She issued her next demand.

“Get on the bed.”

He scooted back until he was on the center of the bed, not sitting on the edge. She followed him. Underneath her robe there had been nothing. He was focusing on not reaching out to touch her. If he did, there may be punishment. On the other hand… His hand betrayed him and he moved to place it on her waist.

She was fast and caught his wrist tightly. His chest was pounding. 

“I didn’t tell you to do that.” She brought his hand to her mouth and playfully sucked his fingers. A small whimper escaped him. She brought his hand up to his own face and lowered it over his eyes. 

“If you peek or use your other hand, I might stop.” That she would stop now was an empty threat, but he complied. He loved this game. It was unfortunate he could no longer see her, though.

Her breath was slowly moving down his torso and stopped above his hips. Soon, his pants were being yanked off. Next, his boxers. He was breathing hard.

And then, it was wet. So wet. He moaned. She was gone. Damn it.

No command was issued. Mikasa lifted Armin’s other hand and placed it over his mouth. Her nails scraped down his chest as she returned to her endeavor. Wetness returned as suddenly as it had left and he bit the back of his hand in lieu of making more noise.

Her tongue flicked and soothed across him. His hips inched a little from the mattress. Would he pay for that? Yes, he realized as she pulled back again.

“If that’s what you want.” Her hands grabbed his hips roughly and then she had all of him all at once all the way to the back of her throat. His forearm was squeezed over his eyes and he stuffed his other hand against his mouth, only allowing quiet moans to escape. She was moving fast and firm and he was not sure he would last like this. She tugged his hips up and took him deeply one last time before abruptly releasing. 

He definitely could not think. Which is probably exactly what she wanted. When he felt her climbing up him, his hands betrayed him again. She stopped his arms easily and brought them over his head. The next request was not made verbally. She straddled his face and he squirmed in pleasure.

His arms were pinned above him, but his tongue was free. He started with small, light circles and heard her gasp quietly. He lapped eagerly, straining his neck to get his lips on hers. So wet. He did not have to strain for long. She was thrusting instinctively against his mouth. 

His tongue had been probing between various folds but he reached out and slipped inside her with it before moving to focus on the spot she needed. Her muted noises of pleasure mixed with his own breathing. As she pushed into him, it was more difficult to breathe. He could not care less about that at the moment. Her hips jerked against him and all he wanted was to hear it. 

His hands were released and he felt her drag a pillow to her face. He pushed and circled hungrily with his tongue with as much pressure as he could manage. Above him, muffled whimpers. She rasped out his name and her thighs tightened around him. Yes. 

He delivered a few soft licks and felt her shudder as she came down from the high. She lifted herself from him and a small towel landed on his face. He wiped himself off and looked for her but did not see her. He heard rustling from under the bed. What was she down there for?

Realization hit him. His heart rate picked back up. How the hell was he supposed to be quiet with this?

She was back at his level now. She stealthily placed the object in question down where he could not see. Even though he knew what it was, the tension built without being about to lay eyes on it. He gave Mikasa a pleading look but she just smiled evilly. 

Her lips were on his, her tongue in his mouth. Every touch felt like fire knowing what was coming. But when? 

She toyed with his mouth, but did not touch him. Her hands were busy with something. His hands were still obediently above his head.

“Fuck,” he swore when he felt her finger probing his hole. She paused, but did not remove her finger. Instead, she was slowly easing it further as she spoke.

“If you can’t contain yourself, you will be the one explaining to Eren and Annie. Would you like to tell them tomorrow what it was that they heard?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the back of his head against the mattress. No. He did not want to explain to either of them about Mikasa’s finger in his ass. Or about what was coming. His stomach flipped just thinking about it.

She was slowly working him. Her face was no longer near his, as she was focusing on her current goal. She issued a last command.

“Touch yourself. And don’t stop.” 

As his hand wrapped around himself, hard and excited. She began to add a finger. His spare hand was in charge of attempting to keep himself quiet. He felt himself relaxing and stretching, just on the edge between pleasure and discomfort. Any discomfort was soon fading. Her fingers curled into him and he let out a shaky breath. 

It was when her fingers disappeared that he struggled to keep down his loudest groan. When the strap on appeared in place of her fingers, he fought a deep moan. He snuck a glance at Mikasa. She was watching him unapologetically. There was no persona or game any more. They looked into each other’s eyes as she slowly pushed into him. 

His eyes fluttered shut and he bit into his hand again. He was still stroking himself and the dual sensory input was all but overwhelming. She began to slide in and out, angling just right. This could not last. He would not.

He gripped tighter and she moved faster. Their toy stimulated more than just him and he could hear her coming close for a second time. Her breathing was ragged and her thrusting was rough. As she stifled a quiet whine, he could not hold out any longer. He could not even see, much less think. He yelled her name as ecstasy took him. Warmth stuck to his fingers and he stroked the last throbs of pleasure. 

He was returning to full consciousness. His eyes flew open as he realized what he had just done. She was staring at him, her own eyes wide. Shit. She withdrew from him carefully and laid the toy on a nearby towel. He began wiping himself down.

“Maybe it was too much,” she whispered.

“You think?” Armin managed to whisper back in a sarcastic tone. His voice was gravelly. “But, _oh my god_ ,” He put his hands over his face.

“Yeah, I know.” She sat on the bed next to him. 

“So good,” he elaborated.

“Yeah.” Her voice was breathy. They rolled to lay together, about to snuggle when a phone buzzed. Armin’s.

He reached around Mikasa to the night stand. A single text from Eren with a single word lit up the screen.

 **Eren:** Dude.

Armin groaned and put his arm around Mikasa.

“Bad?” She asked.

“We’ll see tomorrow.” Armin sighed and nuzzled into her. His body felt light and fuzzy and all he wanted was to be as close to her as possible.


	5. Red-eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many more times will Armin and Mikasa have to fly home?

Mikasa and Annie sipped their coffees. Eren had just followed Armin into the bedroom. She blushed a little at the recent memory of Armin shouting her name as he… as they… As embarrassing as this morning had been, she secretly thought it was worth it.

“Mikasa?” Annie broke the trance.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a guy yell like that.”

Mikasa lifted her eyes to look at Annie. She would normally be mortified at this statement, but somehow Annie’s blunt seriousness made it seem like normal conversation. Mikasa shrugged and looked into her coffee mug.

“How?” Annie stared at Mikasa. It was not a piercing stare, just straightforward. “Sorry, obviously you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It’s probably weird that I asked.”

Mikasa looked up at her. It was kind of strange. She felt oddly comfortable, though, and did not end the conversation.

“Eren might not like the same thing, if that’s why you’re asking,” Mikasa said matter-of-factly. Annie raised an eyebrow in question.

“And we never had this conversation.” Mikasa held Annie’s gaze. Annie nodded seriously. A pact between women. Mikasa leaned in closer and whispered the method to her. 

It was low-key thrilling to divulge this intimate tidbit. She hardly knew Annie. Still, she trusted her to keep a secret. Hopefully, this would not come back to haunt her. 

Annie leaned back with half a grin on her face. “That’s pretty hot. But, I see what you mean. I don’t think Eren would be interested.” Annie nonchalantly continued to drink her coffee. Mikasa decided for sure then that she liked Annie. She was guarded and quiet, but very deliberate when she did talk. One could mistake it for shyness until she opened her mouth.

Mikasa also lingered on the thought that Eren would not be interested in such things. She felt herself heat up when she realized just how much she enjoyed doing it to Armin. His soft groans and sweet touches. The way he looked at her. And, he was delightfully noisy in bed, to their recent misfortune.

It had been a long time since she had considered what it might be like to sleep with Eren. Mikasa realized that she could not really picture it. When she closed her eyes, the only thing she wanted to see was blonde hair and blue eyes. At this point, it was hard to imagine trusting her body to anyone that was not Armin.

Speaking of. Armin marched out of the room, suitcase and Eren in tow. 

“Dude, like, what even was that?” Eren was pestering. 

Armin rolled his eyes, “Eren, are you seriously asking?”

“Kind of.” Eren shrugged.

“It’s called sex.” Annie said flatly. Armin smirked and Eren frowned. Mikasa felt her confidence in Annie’s secret-keeping capabilities grow.

“That’s not what I meant,” Eren grumbled, walking to pack up his stuff in the living room. Annie pressed.

“What _did_ you mean?”

Eren stammered a bit and then fell silent. Despite his usual willingness to blurt out anything inappropriate, he could not seem to ask a direct question on this topic. At least, not to his two best friends, about his best friends. 

She was not sure why Eren was so curious. Then again, Armin raising his voice was a pretty rare occurrence. Maybe Eren just wanted to know what had brought his sweet, soft-spoken best friend to release a sound like that? 

She sent a wicked glance to Armin. Her. 

Armin blushed when their eyes met, but his eyes still returned a small smoulder. 

“Damn,” Annie muttered under her breath. Only Mikasa heard her. A strange feeling of pride in rose in her chest. It pushed down her feelings of embarrassment.

“Ok, we should go.” Armin patted down his pockets for keys, phone, wallet. Mikasa stood and offered to help him with his bags. He declined, but thanked her. A sure sign of his growing anxiety. The best course of action was for her to let him sort his thoughts out on his own at this point.

Mikasa slid into the driver's seat as soon as the bags were loaded in the car. They had made the drive to the airport too many times in the last few months. The bulk of this ride was spent with Eren and Armin chatting. Mikasa did not feel much like talking and Annie seemed to be just as happy to listen. Although, when the subject of Eren’s parents came up, she seemed surprisingly nervous.

“I hope they like me,” she bit her lip.

Mikasa beat Eren to an answer. “Carla and Grisha are going to love you.” 

Annie’s face brightened a little. 

“I already told you that,” Eren whined.

“Yeah, but now I’m the one saying it.” Mikasa countered.

“So?” 

Nobody answered now, but the rest of the car collectively smirked. Unbeknownst to him, Eren did not always have a handle on what exactly people may or may not like. Regardless, Mikasa was sure that his parents would like Annie. It was already apparent that she had a knack for keeping Eren in line. 

Eren rolled his eyes but resumed regular conversation with Armin until they reached the airport.

“Ok, we’ll see you in there.” Annie began getting out of the car.

“What do you mean? Armin isn’t coming with us right now?” Eren gave her a look.

“Don’t be obtuse.” Annie offered no explanation. She simply hoisted her bag out and began walking to the sliding glass doors of the terminal. Eren scrambled to follow likewise. 

Mikasa and Armin shared a soft, long kiss as soon as they were gone. 

“You have your medicine? And you can call me any time. It doesn’t matter what time it is.”

“Yes. I know, I’ll be ok. I love you.” He brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes. 

“I know you’ll be ok. I love you, too.” 

She touched his jaw and lifted his face back for one last kiss. He gave her a weak smile. Then, he was leaving the car. Mikasa sighed to herself. They waved one last time through the windows. And then she was pulling away.

She drove in silence. She had a bad feeling about this trip and wished she was going with him. But, a bad feeling did not seem like enough to justify the time off. If something _did_ happen, she would need all the time off she could get. She frowned at the idea of another last minute scramble for what would almost certainly be a red-eye flight. 

No, she was just over thinking. Everything was going to be ok. Besides, in a worst-case scenario, an overnight flight would be the least of her concerns. She turned the radio on and tried to shake whatever was settling in her stomach.

-

Mikasa took a large swig of red wine. She laughed too loud. Sasha laughed louder. It had been two days since Armin had left. Everything was going well at home, so she was unwinding with her best friend and a little libation. 

“So! Ohmygodsh, you wouldn’t even believe. Ugh his food was sooo amazing.”

“What about dessert?” Mikasa tried to say it suggestively, but it went over Sasha’s head.

“Aaaah, the most delicious chocolate cake. With homemade ice cream. I could cry, Mika.” Sasha was practically drooling. 

They sat on the floor of Mikasa’s apartment. It was a declared girl’s night, and Sasha was staying over. Their plans for relaxation were simple but battle-tested: stay up too late, drink too much, just not too much, and then pass out. Mikasa tried her question again, loosened by the wine.

“Yeah, but, did you _do it_? This was your first date at his actual house, right?”

“Ohh, that? Girl, let me tell you.” Sasha was about to launch into a surely delicious story when Mikasa’s phone buzzed. She quickly silenced it, not bothering to check the screen.

“Sorry, keep going.”

“Ok, so-” 

Mikasa’s phone went off again, cutting Sasha off a second time. Mikasa's eye roll was cut short when she flipped it over to reveal the screen. Eren? Why was Eren calling her? 

Her stomach dropped. No, she was just overreacting. Just drunk and exaggerating. Still. She picked up before the third ring.

“Mikasa.” Annie’s voice. 

Not good.

“Annie?”

“Mr. Arlert, he’s…” Annie’s voice petered out on the other line.

If Annie was calling, then where was Eren?

Annie cleared her throat and tried again. This time she did not falter. “Mr. Arlert passed away. Eren is with Armin. I’m so sorry.”

“When?” 

Sasha looked at Mikasa with big eyes.

“Not long. He was doing so well all day. And then.”

“I’m coming. Please, stay with Armin.”

“Of course.”

Mikasa hung up. “Armin’s grandfather,” she said flatly to Sasha, “I need a flight. Can you help me?”

Sasha nodded and began calling someone.

Her head spun between the news and the alcohol. She would have to order a ride. Driving was not an option at this point. On the bright side, she thought she was sober enough to be able to get through security without incident. 

She sprung up and rushed to the bedroom. There was already an emergency travel bag packed, which she had double checked as soon as she had dropped Armin off at the airport so recently. Sasha wandered into the room behind her, on the phone.

“Yeah, Connie? Sorry, have you and Jean left yet and are you safe to drive?” Sasha paused. “No, I’m ok. It’s Mikasa, she needs to fly home. No, don’t come yet. Can you just give us like twenty minutes to check and if there’s one soon, can you drive her?”

“Sasha, I can get a ride-” Sasha shushed her.

“Thank you sooo much, I’ll text you soon.” 

Sasha turned to her. “Really, Mika. What friends are for.”

Mikasa quickly found that there was in fact a flight. It was in an hour and a half. It was close, but she could make it.

“There’s a flight.”

-

Mikasa opened the passenger door, immediately apologizing, “Carla, thank you so much. I’m so sorry about this, you know I would never have asked otherwise.” 

“Hush, dear,” Carla gave her a strained smile, “I’m glad to help in whatever way I can. And I would do anything for my children.” 

Mikasa’s eyes prickled. It had been a very long night, and this expression of compassion by Carla nearly brought her to tears. It made Mikasa feel a little less like total shit, having just sobered up on an overnight flight, and having been unable to sleep in light of the current situation.

“Thank you,” was all she managed to say. Carla seemed to understand how much she meant in her words. Mikasa and Carla discussed what had happened for the duration of the ride. Before she knew it, they were pulling up to the old house. A light was on in the living room. Mikasa checked her phone. Three forty-five a.m.

“I think it’s best if I go home now,” Carla said. Mikasa reached to hug her over the center console. 

“Thank you so much for the ride.”

“Any time, Mikasa.” 

Mikasa hauled herself out of the car. She felt heavy and unsure. What would she say? What _could_ she say? Nothing, probably. She swallowed her anticipation along with some shadowy memories of the day her parents died. She needed to be Armin’s rock right now. 

At the front door, there was no point in knocking. Annie eased it open as soon as Mikasa was reaching for the handle. 

She spoke, as usual, to the point, “They’re in the kitchen. I’ll be in the living room.” 

Mikasa nodded and tried to empty herself of emotion. Her feet took her through the entry hall and an archway. 

She saw Eren first. He was at the table, an arm around Armin’s shoulders. She could not see Armin’s face yet. Neither of them looked at her as she walked up. 

Armin stared icily into the table top. His eyes were puffy, but currently dry. Eren glanced at Mikasa, but did not move until she sat beside Armin and pulled him into her arms. Eren’s arm dropped, and he leaned back in his chair. 

Armin said nothing, but leaned into her. She gently wove her fingers through his hair. After a minute, she spoke,

“Do you want to go to bed?”

Armin’s voice was rough and caught in the back of his throat. “Can’t sleep.” He cleared his throat and sat up in his chair. His gaze shifted from the table to the air in front of him. 

“We can just lay down together.” 

Armin nodded stiffly and stood up. Mikasa and Eren followed.

“Do you want me to stay? I can stay.” Eren spoke more softly than she had ever heard him. 

Armin shook his head. “No, thank you.” Eren pulled him into a tight hug. 

“I’m sorry, Armin,” Eren said, voice still low. Armin sniffled and pulled away. 

Mikasa gave Eren a little hug. Then, she wrapped an arm around Armin and led him towards the stairs. Eren and Annie left wordlessly, turning off all the lights but the kitchen and the porch. Eren’s house was a relatively short walk from there. 

Each step seemed like forever as they climbed towards Armin’s old bedroom. Once there, Armin began robotically removing his sweater and jeans. Mikasa put down her bag and also took off her clothes before climbing into bed. 

She held her arms out and Armin fell into her. She stroked his hair and his back and fought to stay awake. He yawned and rubbed his face against her. 

“I might be able to sleep now,” he whispered. 

“Good. Get some rest.” 

Soon, his breathing changed and his body relaxed. Sleep took her just as quickly after that. 

-

Mikasa watched as Armin clung to his coffee and stared out the window. The past few days had been both a blur and painstakingly slow. The urn rested on the table between them. Armin’s grandfather had been very specific in two points: one, he was to be cremated, and two, there was to be no official services of any kind. 

He had left a letter to Armin, written a few months prior. She did not know what all it said, but Armin had told her about him not wanting one more funeral in the family. Mikasa had asked Armin how he felt about that.

“Honestly, I can’t think of anything worse than accepting an audience’s worth of condolences right now,” Armin had muttered. So, there was that, at least.

Armin had arranged a very small memorial with the Yeagers instead, wanting only familiar company at this time. Annie had asked Mikasa if she should remove herself, being so new to the group. Mikasa had thanked her for her consideration, but declined the offer. It would be just like Armin to over-stress about having displaced Annie for the day.

“We should go,” Armin said, still looking out the window.

“Probably.” 

Neither of them moved for another ten minutes before Armin sighed and got out of his chair.

“If I don’t get up now, I’m not sure I’ll make it out of this house.”

Mikasa nodded and took his coffee cup to the sink for him. When she looked back, he was staring at the urn.

“What if I drop him?” He turned to look at her. 

“You won’t.”

“But -”

“You won’t.” She put her hands on his shoulders. Suddenly, Armin was chuckling. He brushed a stray hair from his eyes and said,

“He would’ve asked you to carry him, I bet.” In the tone Armin would use to imitate his grandfather’s voice, he said, ‘Oh, Mikasa, what a nice young lady. Armin, wouldn’t _you_ want to be carried by such a nice girl?”

And then he pressed his palms to his face. When he removed them, Mikasa could see a little wetness left behind. Armin straightened up and gingerly liften the urn into his arms. She smiled at him.

They walked out the door, down the sidewalk, to the next portal: the Yeager’s front door. Mikasa’s old home. Mikasa knocked, her hands unoccupied. In an instant, Grisha appeared.

“Please, come in.” He stepped to the side, allowing Mikasa and Armin to pass. 

Everyone was in the living room. It was an intimate crowd, of which only Annie was not someone they had known nearly their whole lives. Armin set the urn down on the coffee table, which had been centered in the space. The sofa, love seat, and some chairs were arranged in a neat little circle around the table. 

“Lately, I’ve been thinking that he just wanted to play one last joke on us,” Armin said as he took his seat.

Eren looked up. “Why?”

“A circle and no ceremony. We’re supposed to sit here and eat food and not discuss how he’s not here. All per his late request.”

“He planned his own funeral?” Annie blurted out.

“His own _not_ funeral. I guess when he got sick he must have been worrying about what he was leaving behind.”

“ _Who_ he was leaving behind,” Carla interjected. She had just walked in the room. Mikasa was grateful Armin was regaining his talkativeness. He sort of swung between depressed and back to normal. She supposed that was all part of the process, thinking back to her own experiences.

“Who,” Armin repeated under his breath. 

“Then we know where you got it from,” Carla said before pulling Armin into a hug. He had stood up to greet her.

“Got what?”

“Worrying about making things easier for the people you care about.” 

Armin’s eyes widened. He sat back down, thrown into thought. Had he not realized that he does the same exact thing? 

“Most people avoid considering their own deaths,” Grisha said from a folding chair. “I think it’s a good thing that he prepared.”

Armin half nodded. Mikasa could tell he was still thinking. He glanced nervously at the urn. She remembered now that they were not even supposed to be discussing the deceased. Per his request, as Armin had said.

“Well, now all we need is the food. And to share good stories,” 

Armin sent her a grateful glance. Eren spoke up first.

“Mom’s got the food covered. And I could never forget the time he kicked me out of your house, Armin. Remember?”

Armin smiled and nodded. Carla went to retrieve a series of delectable snacks. They stayed for hours, talking about everything. Talking about nothing. Some stories were about Mr. Arlert and some were completely unrelated. Grisha and Carla took some time to reminisce about the younger days of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Annie paid particular attention to those stories.

When she could tell that Armin was getting tired, she offered to help Carla clean up.

“Sit down, Carla, I’ll do it.” Grisha stood up. “But, I will accept your assistance, Mikasa.”

Mikasa gathered a stack of plates and made her way to the kitchen. It had been so long since she had done any dishes here. Grisha stood at the counter with his own stack, sorting it and scraping leftovers into the trash bin.

“Mikasa, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Ok.”

“I hear that Armin has been left with the house. And that his uncle has no intention of making a claim on any possessions.”

“You heard right.”

“A shame about his uncle.”

“Yes,” Mikasa agreed. They had only seen him once, and he had told Armin in a roundabout way not to expect any further contact. If Armin’s grandfather had confronted death, then his uncle had put as much distance as was humanly possible between himself and the concept. 

“I know this is a difficult time, and please know that I don’t mean to pressure you in any way.”

“Pressure me?”

“I wanted to tell you about a job opening here in town. Your old school, in fact. They are looking for a new nurse.”

“Grisha, I appreciate it. The thing is, we haven’t even talked about the house ourselves.”

“I guessed as much. I just wanted you to know that there are probably going to be very few applicants, or so I hear. You would have a few months still before you had to apply. It wouldn’t start until the school year. Again, I don’t mean to put any kind of pressure on you. But, if you decided to come home, there are some nice options here.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

She rinsed the last of her pile and loaded it in the dishwasher. Before considering any big changes, first they would have to make it back to their apartment.


	6. What If

“I don’t know what I would do if Hange wasn’t my boss.” Armin laid on his back in the bed. Mikasa snuggled up against his side.

“Really,” he continued, “I mean, who else would be ridiculous enough to count this time as work?”

“You _have_ sent a lot of samples.”

“Sure. But, still. I’m really grateful.”

“You should tell Hange that. You could bring back flowers or something.”

Armin scoffed at the image. “No,” he said, “Hange would much better prefer some kind of specimen. Of that much, I am sure.”

He heard Mikasa let out a short chuckle beside him. His fingers laced mindlessly into her hair.

“I guess we have to go back home tomorrow?” He sighed.

“We are home,” she countered.

“True. You know what I mean.”

She squeezed his torso. “I know.”

They lay silent a while. Armin nearly drifted into a nap, but Mikasa spoke again.

“Armin.”

“Huh?”

“I have a crazy idea.”

“Crazy?” Armin looked at her. She had lifted her head to look him in the eyes.

“We could stay.”

“Wha…?” The word would not materialize completely on his tongue. All at once he could see it. The two of them in his grandfather’s house. It would become _their house_. A piece of a daydream flashed through his mind of a small child running across the porch.

 _Woah, getting ahead of yourself_ , he thought. It made him feel nervous to even consider such a thing. They were themselves still so young.

Mikasa continued, “Obviously, we would still have to go back for a little while. Get our things in order.” She paused to chew her lip. “Maybe it’s too crazy. Or maybe it only sounds nice because we’re here? I honestly don’t know if it’s a good idea or not.”

Armin pushed his fantasy down. He needed to be rational about something this big. Could he truly be logical at a time like this?

“I don’t think it’s crazy. I ...would like that. I know we should take some time to really think about it. But, I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it here.”

“Me, too.” Mikasa whispered.

The more he pondered, the better of an idea it seemed like. He also worried that only time could give him true clarity about what he really wanted. How much of what he wanted was influenced by his loss? His heartbreak. His need to be somewhere familiar and safe. 

Was it so bad to retreat to safety? Surely he and Mikasa could live a perfectly successful life here. Did they have to be in a big city to be happy?

He could feel Mikasa slipping into unconsciousness at his side. Carefully, he rolled over to a more comfortable position and drifted away. 

-

Armin walked in the peaceful morning. The flight back was in the afternoon and he had a brunch appointment with Eren. Mikasa had taken Annie hiking, telling Armin she wanted to get to know her. Originally, Mikasa had said they should all go hiking. Eren had resisted, opting for something that involved mimosas. Annie had made a face and said she would rather hike. Armin had never been particularly outdoorsy.

Some sweat accumulated on his skin. It was getting warm, but he enjoyed the sunshine. Before he knew it, the cafe was before him. He smiled, nostalgic. 

Eren waved him over from a patio table.

“You don’t mind eating outside?” Armin said, pulling up a chair.

“Nah, it’s cool.”

They studied their menus. It was not long before Eren spoke up again.

“How are you doing?”

Armin did not look up. “Ok, I guess. Depends.”

“Yeah…” 

“I’ll be ok.” Armin looked up, then. Eren had been watching him. He nodded.

Another twenty minutes of bland conversation passed. This was not normal for them. Usually, they always had something to talk about. Motivated by stale conversation and an itch under his skin, Armin finally said what he had been wanting to tell Eren. He wanted to know what Eren’s reaction would be.

“Mikasa and I talked about, well, really just barely thought about, maybe moving back home.”

“Seriously?”

“But, we really don’t know yet if that’s something we want to do.” 

“I mean, it would be awesome to have you home. I know I’m not here right now, but I’m going to come back here. Maybe go to the local college when I’m back.” 

“Really?” This was shocking. Eren had spent so much time trying to get out of this town. “What would you do here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe teach? I don’t know, I just realized how much this place means to me after we left.” Eren chuckled. “Look, you probably won’t believe me, but I even really missed my parents. I mean, I don’t want to live at their house again or anything. But, I want to have more time with them. You know?”

Armin grew quiet. “Yeah, I know. I… I keep thinking I should have come back sooner.” 

Eren frowned. “You can’t think like that.”

“Why not?” When it came out of his mouth, it was a lot harsher than he had intended.

Eren sighed. “I guess you can do whatever you want. But, you can’t see the future, Armin. Even my dad thought there was more time left.”

“I could have stayed. I could have gone to school here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you remember when we all got accepted to school?”

Armin barely nodded. His grandfather had kept saying how happy he was. Eren continued.

“Besides, if you had stayed here, what about Mikasa?”

“What?” Armin looked up, surprised.

“What if you never got together if you had stayed here?”

“I…” Armin looked back at his hands on the table. 

“Look, all I’m saying is that you’re supposed to be living your life. Isn’t that what our parents want? Besides, you were here when it mattered.”

He felt so awful. At the same time, him receiving advice like this from Eren was almost comical.

“It must be really bad,” Armin said with a little chuckle, “if _you’re_ giving out good advice.”

It made Eren laugh and suddenly Armin was laughing with him. 

“It’s pretty fucked up, dude,” Eren managed once they began to settle again, little laughs escaping still.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Armin pushed his hair back and smiled bitterly.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Annie had appeared near their table. Armin glanced around for Mikasa.

“Oh, hey! What are you doing here?” Eren smiled.

“It took a lot less time than we thought.” Mikasa’s hand found Armin’s shoulder from behind him. His smile turned from sour to genuine. He felt warm under her touch.

The girls took their seats at the two vacant chairs at the table.

“I’m starving,” Annie said, grabbing the menu from Eren’s hands.

“You should meet Sasha,” Eren joked.

“I have,” she said flatly.

“Seriously? When?”

“At a party. It was way back. You know, the one I met Armin at. Weren’t you there?”

“Oh. _That_ party?”

Annie nodded. Armin caught a funny expression on Eren’s face. 

Eren turned towards Mikasa. “Did I ever say -”

“That you were sorry?” Mikasa cut Eren off. “Only a thousand times. It’s in the past. Still…”

“Still what?” Eren looked concerned. Mikasa held her hand to her face, a hint of a smile growing.

“Still, I wish we hadn’t missed the main event.”

Even Annie was smiling, now.

Armin felt his face heating up. He knew he would never live it down, but how many times did it have to haunt him?

Eren’s features were full of confusion. “Main event?”

“Wait.” Annie sat up straight and looked at Eren. “Do you really not know this story?”

Armin butt in, “There’s no reason to tell it now.”

Mikasa scoffed. “Please.”

He gave her a look. “Not you, too.”

“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t want to talk about it? Sasha said it was pretty hot.” Something flashed in Mikasa’s eyes when she said it, looking right into his eyes. The way she said it was almost suggestive. Was she messing with him?

“What _happened_?” Eren was starting to get frustrated.

“You remember Bertolt?” Annie turned to Eren. Armin felt his blush creeping up. Despite the years that had passed, a certain amount of embarrassment had remained with him on this subject.

“Sure, super tall dude?” Eren looked even more confused.

“Right,” Annie said, “He asked Armin to dance. Five minutes later, they were practically having sex on the dance floor.”

“Hey, that’s not true.” Armin frowned. It had not been _that_ explicit.

“Are you denying the grinding? The making out?” Annie stared at him, a smirk on her lips. In his field of vision he saw Eren, whose mouth was hanging open. Armin rolled his eyes.

“Armin. Arlert.” Eren leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. A broad smile was on his face.

“Shut up,” Armin muttered. He threw a crumpled napkin at Eren. 

“Maybe I should be asking you for advice in the bedroom, huh?” Eren teased further. Armin’s skin burned red. He knew Eren was referring to more than just an old party incident. A new wave of embarrassment struck him as he remembered Eren and Annie’s visit to their apartment.

Mikasa stayed quiet, but a small smirk hung on the corner of her mouth. 

Annie’s next remark was more than enough to make up for any teasing on Eren’s part.

“Maybe you should.” 

Eren’s smirk fell right off. Annie gave him a playful look. She yelped when he flicked cold water at her, snickering. He was already smiling again, realizing the joke. Armin nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his thigh. Eren and Annie were distracted with fake insults at each other. Armin’s pace picked up when he felt Mikasa breathe into his ear.

“You _are_ hot in bed.”

And then she was gone, back to looking at her menu. Eren and Annie either did not mention or did not notice her teasing Armin. Armin could feel a little heat in his pants. He stole a glance at Mikasa, who was watching him. She held his gaze for a moment. The next moment, their waiter was there and asking about their orders.

Throughout their meal, Armin’s mind kept drifting to the idea of moving back home. This was not the first time he had thought about it, but it was the first time it was a serious possibility. He would certainly miss work, even if his boss was completely crazy. Actually, probably _because_ Hange was so crazy. For that matter, what about Levi and Erwin? Had Mikasa really considered moving away would mean leaving her only family?

“Earth to Armin.” Annie was waving a hand in front of his face.

“Oh, sorry. What?”

“I asked if you’re ready to go.” Mikasa said.

“Oh.” Armin felt saddened at the prospect of getting on another plane just to leave again. “Sure.”

-

Armin was fidgeting, but it was not due to anxiety. Not about the plane, anyway. Between his new medicine and frequent trips through the air, planes had become somewhat tolerable as of late. 

“Did you take your pill?” Mikasa sounded concerned. They were in line for security.

“Yes,” he said, annoyed. When it came out, he realized how frustrated he sounded out loud. Mikasa turned from him. She never really frowned, but instead would flatten her expression completely. His heart dropped a little.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He looked down at his feet.

“What’s going on?” She said in a low voice so others could not hear. “If it’s about your grandfather, you can tell me.”

He looked at her sheepishly. Her expression was still expressionless. 

“No, it’s not that. Not that that helps. I just,” he took a breath and put his hands on his hips, “I just don’t want to leave I guess.”

Mikasa’s face softened. The line moved forward and they shuffled a few feet.

“Actually, I have to tell you something. I’ve been thinking about moving back here since longer than just last night.” She was searching his face now, looking for his reaction at her admission.

“I know,” he said. He saw something new in her eyes. “Me, too,” he finished. 

“I have an even worse idea.” She looked nervous.

“What’s that?”

“You have to promise not to laugh or make fun. If you don’t want to, just say no, ok?”

“Ok, I promise.”

“We could…” She paused and looked around, taking a moment to move their bags forward when the line inched along. “We…”

Had he ever seen her this nervous before? What on earth kind of plan could she have? He certainly had his own secret fantasy.

“I swear, I won’t judge.”

She looked at him and fiddled with her hands. It was very uncharacteristic of her. His face must have changed to one of concern because she blurted out,

“No, it’s nothing bad! At least, I don’t think.”

“Well, what is it?” He moved to be a little closer to her and gave her what he was sure was an encouraging expression.

“What if we really did move back home? Grisha said there were a lot of job opportunities, and a really good one at the school.” She did not seem finished, but she stopped talking.

“Isn’t that exactly what we’re talking about? Mikasa,” he reached for her hand. Then, they had to move themselves and the bags forward again. After that, he pulled her hand into his. “Is that all you wanted to ask?”

She was even blushing now.

“No, but now I realize it’s a dumb question and we’re standing in the middle of airport security, which makes it even more ridiculous.”

“I don’t care about being in an airport.”

“You don’t even like airports, and I’m being so stupid. Thinking of asking you a question like that in a place you hate.”

“I don’t _hate_ airports. I have come to only dislike them.”

“Still, Armin. I’m sorry, I know it’s going to drive you crazy, but I can’t tell you what I was going to say.”

“It will drive me crazy, because it obviously matters to you and I want to know. Although, if you tell me not to ask, I’ll stop.”

“Can’t you be awful for one second?”

“What?”

“It would just be a lot easier for me if you could be annoying or upset.”

“It would?” Armin was amused. The line moved again.

“No. Yes. Depends.”

“Mikasa.” He squeezed her hand. “Will you please tell me? If you say no right now, I promise I will never bring it up again. But, I’d really like to know.”

She gave him a face. It was the same face she made when she knew she was about to lose a game.

“You always know how to get to me, don’t you?” She whispered. He almost had not heard it, it was so quiet. He was about to ask her what she meant, but she kept going, speaking nearly as softly as her whisper.

“We could get married. And move back home.”

It was Armin’s turn to stare. This was the second time the possibility had been mentioned, but the first time it had been an actual question. The first thing he managed to say had to do with logistics, of course.

“We would have a lot to take care before we left. And we’ll have to deal with owning a house. There are things that need to be fixed. I’m not sure where I would work. And then, there’s the matter of whether or not I’m even in a place to be able to make a smart decision right now.”

She slumped and began muttering, “I’m sorry,” before Armin cut her off. He put his hands on her shoulders.

“You know, we’ve never really done anything stupid. For the record, I don’t think this is stupid. But, what I’m saying is that maybe we should just do what we want this time. Instead of doing what we think we should do.”

Her eyes snapped up from the floor. “You want to?”

“Hey, line’s moving, c’mon love birds!” A shout came from a few feet down the line. Armin glanced nervously at the line that was gathering behind them. Armin and Mikasa quickly grabbed their things and moved a good ten feet. They were nearing TSA.

He was not sure how to resume their conversation without it being awkward. Maybe a joke would do. He leaned over and said softly to her,

“I can’t believe you proposed to me in an airport security line.”

She elbowed him lightly and he chuckled.

“Are you going to accept? In an airport security line?” She was joking, but also asking. Her voice was breathy.

“Yes.” He reached out to take her hand again. He wanted to kiss her, but they had caused enough of a scene already and they both hated kissing in front of a bunch of strangers. Her fingers laced through his and she squeezed. He looked over and smiled at her. She blushed and grinned. Suddenly, though, her face fell.

“What’s wrong?” Armin squeezed her hand lightly.

“Sasha’s going to be so mad. Not only would I be moving away, I would also be getting married,” Mikasa sighed.

“Doesn’t she love weddings?”

“Yeah.”

They moved forward, nearly to the bins.

“I think she’ll understand. And, we’ll have two spare bedrooms. She could come stay with us.”

“Are we really doing this?”

“Assuming we don’t change our minds once we’re back at the apartment.” Armin almost stopped there, but decided to add on, “I want to do it. With you.”


	7. Scheming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin and Mikasa are planning a big surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shorter chapter. And fluffier. Honestly, it's all indulgence from here, with one last beach trip.

“Hey, Connie.”

“Armin! What’s up?”

“Can I ask for a favor?”

“Uh, sure.”

“I want to do a beach trip.”

“What, like the one we took in college?”

“Actually, yeah. Exactly like that.”

“Hell yeah!” Armin had to pull the phone away from his ear a little. He knew Connie would be game, but he was not expecting this level of enthusiasm. Connie went on,

“I bet this time we could get the girls to admit our beach trip is better!”

Armin smiled. Of course. Connie had jumped straight to competitive mode. If it had to do with competition or partying, Connie was there for it. This would be both. 

“What a good idea, man.” Connie paused. “So, what’s the favor?”

“That was the favor.”

“You thought asking me for a week’s worth of fun was asking for a favor? Although, since we all work now, we should probably do a long weekend.” Armin could practically hear Connie party planning in his head.

“Ok, great.” Armin would have ended the conversation there, but Connie was on a roll.

“First, we should send a poll to everyone and see what their schedule is like. Oh shit, you know what? Jean and I were already going out for drinks tonight. You should totally join and we’ll talk beach trip. You free?”

Armin lowered the phone from his ear and turned to Mikasa who was next to him on the couch. “Hey, we aren’t doing anything tonight, right?”

She shook her head. She was too busy reading to verbalize. He spared a moment to watch her, feeling a warmth spread through him. 

“Yeah, I’m free,” he answered Connie. His eyes did not leave Mikasa.

“Cool, I’ll text the time and bar location to you.”

“Thanks. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

He hung up and placed his hand onto Mikasa’s shin and slowly worked upwards. She glanced up suspiciously. 

“You know, I don’t interrupt you every time you read.” She arched an eyebrow. His hand was to her thigh.

“Hmm,” was all he said. He lifted the book from her hands and laid it gently on the coffee table. She had already bookmarked and shut it. 

Her lips were so soft. 

-

Connie had a notepad. If he had ever been so studious about homework, he might have matched Armin’s near-perfect GPA in college. “Ok, so we’ve got to text everyone about availability and then book the house ASAP.”

Jean swirled his drink and smiled lazily. “I already found some houses. I was looking before I came over here.”

“Anything good?” Armin said, taking a sip of his drink. His palms felt sweaty just thinking about it.

“Mostly, no. We’re pretty late to be booking a house. However, the house we rented last time is available, believe it or not.”

“Even better!” Connie raised his glass. Jean clinked it with his own.

“Yeah.” Armin gripped his drink nervously, too distracted to join the toast.

“Dude, what’s up with you?” Connie made a questioning gesture with his free hand.

Jean added, “You’ve been kinda weird today.”

Armin seriously considered not telling them. He still could not tell the whole truth, which was that almost a month ago he and Mikasa had agreed to get married and move back home. For some wild reason, this plan was still in place, and he got more excited each day. What no one knew, was that he and Mikasa wanted to announce it and do a small ceremony there.

Usually, they were not ones for big surprises or fanfare. They had gotten engaged in line for TSA afterall. But, this felt right for some reason. Also, Mikasa wanted Sasha to have a big dose of happiness before breaking the news about moving.

Technically, the Yeagers and Annie already knew about their plan. Since it would be silly for them to fly out just for this, they would do a nice dinner together when Eren had leave next. On the bright side, Levi and Erwin lived nearby and would be showing up as part of the surprise. Erwin, unsurprisingly, was qualified to officiate.

Armin knocked back the bottom of his drink before working up the nerve to say it out loud. “Mikasa and I are engaged.”

They had agreed that this much information, he could give. However, Mikasa did not want Sasha to know until the wedding itself.

Connie slammed his glass on the table and shook Armin by the shoulder. It made him cough a little on the liquid in his throat. Jean stared and lowered his drink more calmly.

“Oh, shit,” Jean said.

“Sasha’s going to lose her mind!” Connie said.

“You can’t tell her!” Armin choked out. 

“Look, Mikasa has a plan to surprise Sasha,” he continued, which was technically true. “ It’s not supposed to be a big deal, though, and I will have Eren hunt you down if either of you say anything to anyone.”

Jean scoffed. “It’s too bad that he actually got buff. I guess we have to take that threat seriously.”

“We would never blow your cover on this.” Connie said earnestly. He always took surprises and schemes very seriously. “Do you know what Mikasa is planning? Oh god, please tell me I will be there to see the look on Sasha’s face at least?”

“Uh, I’m not sure. I’m sure Mikasa wouldn’t deprive you of that experience, though.” Another half lie. Connie’s face was going to be equally enjoyable. 

“She better not.” Connie put his arm around Armin. “Well, congrats!”

“Yeah, congratulations, Armin.” Jean smiled. 

Connie looked into the distance, seeming like he might say something impactful. “You know, maybe we’ll actually beat them after all these years.”

Armin laughed and Jean smirked. “Are you still stuck on that, Connie?”

Soon after, they settled their tabs and parted ways for the evening. It was a very ordinary night, schemes aside. And yet it felt different. Armin took in the dingy bar. He had been here plenty of times before, but he could not be sure that he would see it again after this. 

-

Armin couldn’t help smiling when he looked at Mikasa. She wore a long skirt that Carla had given her and a simple blouse. He looked down at his own ensemble. Slacks, dress shoes, and his father’s sweater. 

They really had not needed to wear anything more than jeans and t-shirts for this, but they had also both agreed it would be nice to play it up. Afterwards, they would go to a quiet dinner.

“Are you ready?” She looked intensely into his eyes. Was he ready?

He took his hands out of his pockets and opened the door to the courthouse. “Yes.”

It was fairly anticlimactic. As soon as they entered the lobby, they had to wait in a line for security. 

“Another security line. Any more big questions for me?” Armin teased, lightly nudging Mikasa with his shoulder.

She half smiled and gave him a playful look. “I don’t know, do you think our first child should be named Mikasa Jr. or Armin Jr.?”

He laughed a little at her joke, but color rose to his cheeks. Would they? Obviously not a “Jr.,” but did she want children? Why had they not talked about this yet? They were getting married.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out. You ok in there?”

He turned to her, anxious, “We haven’t talked about children. We’re getting married and I don’t even know if you want children.”

Mikasa gave him a funny look and a soft smile. “We still have time. Let’s get through security first, though,” she said, motioning to a woman with a wand. Armin stepped forward.

They found an unoccupied bench in a corner and sat down.

“Ok, I’m going to talk first because I can see you’re already thinking yourself into a hole. Yes, I would like children. No, I don’t want to name them after us. And, I don’t see it happening any time soon. You probably forgot, but we _have_ talked about this. Although, it was only once, and it was before we were ever dating.”

“We did?”

“You asked me once if I wanted kids. It was one of the first times we talked about our parents and you told me that even after everything you still wanted children. You asked me if I thought you were crazy for that.”

“I can’t believe I forgot. Now that you mention it, I feel like I do remember, but maybe it’s just because you told me. I’m sorry, I just got nervous.”

“About getting married?”

“No, it’s not that. I just want to make you happy. I’m just worrying.”

She put her arm around his shoulders.

“Armin. If that’s what you’re worried about, it’s something we can always work out. We can always wait, you know, to get married. If you’re nervous, we don’t have to do it. I still think we should move back home, though.”

“I’m not nervous about you, Mikasa. It’s just hard to trust myself sometimes. It makes me nervous that I’m not nervous. And this will be the least logical thing I’ve ever done. Does that make any sense?”

Mikasa laughed. “You know, I don’t think love is supposed to be all that logical. I’m not nervous about you, either.”

“Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone that isn’t you.”

“Me neither.”

Mikasa stood up and held out her hand. He took it, and she helped pull him up. 

“It’s like you said,” she said, “Maybe we are young and stupid. But, if this was the stupidest thing we ever did, then I would be happy with that.”

He pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you.”

She sighed into his ear. “I love you, too, silly. C’mon, let’s go get in line.”

“Another line?” Armin pulled back and looked to where she was pointing. A line was beginning to creep out of the doorway that led to their destination.

“See, all these dummies are getting married. We’re not special.”

He grabbed her hand and said, “You’re special.” She smiled and said,

“You, too.”

The forty-five minute wait took some wind out of their romantic sails. Not to mention the thorough questioning about whether they were already married, were possibly related, and did they swear that they were who they claimed to be. 

“Ok, so you’ll just mail this in once your officiant signs it and we’ll mail it back to you with the license. Copies will be kept on record at this courthouse. Any questions?”

They both shook their heads.

“Well, congrats.” The courthouse employee said it with as much excitement as someone who did this all day could. “You can take a picture over there if you want.” She said to them, before waving the next couple over.

Armin turned to see a sad looking wall with a few streamers and a faded background. He and Mikasa exchanged a look before walking straight past it. 

“Honestly, that wall was so sad it’s like a bad omen for divorce,” Armin chuckled. 

Mikasa opened the door for him. No more security lines this time. 

“Seriously. Do you think people actually take pictures there?”

“Someone must. Ready for dinner?”

“Please. I’m starving.”

Armin tucked their manilla envelope into his shoulder bag. Mikasa called a ride. It was a good thing they had come early because it looked like they would be right on time for their dinner reservation. They had not really expected to wait an hour for a couple pieces of paper.

“I’m going to splurge and get oysters,” he said dreamily from the back seat.

“I don’t know how you eat that stuff. Steak for me.” 

“Hm, then what wine will we get? Red or white?”

“Obviously, one of each.”

He smiled and touched her fingers. “It _is_ a special occasion I suppose.”

“Almost like we’re married or something.” She smiled back.

“Almost. It’s not official until they’ve processed the paperwork.”

“So romantic.” 

He pinched her arm lightly. “Always.”


	8. Beach 3.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to the water.

“Listen up, ye scraggly crew!” Connie stood on his makeshift podium, a dining chair. Ymir and Jean audibly groaned. Nicolo seemed amused. 

“Ok, ok,” Connie dropped the terrible pirate voice, “But, seriously, I’ve got to go over room assignments and the schedule. As you all know, except maybe Nicolo, all the rooms in this house are decorated by theme. So, without further ado. Fish room, Armin and Mikasa.”

Mikasa felt Armin nuzzle against her shoulder a bit and smiled. She rested her arm around his lower back. 

“Octopuses -”

“Octopi!” Jean shouted. 

Armin turned to Jean. “Actually, ‘octopuses’ is right.” Jean scoffed. Mikasa smirked. Connie glared a little. 

“- as I was saying. Octo _puses_ will be Sasha and Nicolo. Historia and Ymir are in the pelican room and Jean and I are with the seashells.”

“Connie?” Mikasa raised her hand. Connie gave an appreciative nod.

“Yes, Mikasa?”

“Can Armin and I have the seashells?”

Connie shrugged. “Sure, they’re basically all the same. So, Jean and I will take the fish room. Ok, on to the schedule…”

She did not bother listening to Connie’s schedule. Instead, she turned towards Armin and whispered,

“Do you remember?” 

He pushed back his hair and nodded. Connie was finishing his announcements.

“... ok, any questions?”

“Yeah, why are we still here and not already in the water?” Ymir had an arm draped around Historia.

Connie rolled his eyes and jumped off the chair. Mikasa watched Sasha pull away from Nicolo to help with loading the cooler. Being a few years out of college had, if anything, increased their alcohol budget. Nicolo came over to say hello and then asked Mikasa, 

“So, you really like seashells?”

Mikasa said nothing, only giving a flat face. Armin got adorably flustered.

“I, ah, n-no. Well, yes. I mean, we do really like shells.” He would not make eye contact with Nicolo. 

Thinking no one was watching, she decided to make things even more interesting and slipped her hand down to give Armin a little pinch on his right cheek. He let out a tiny yelp before Historia yelled from across the room,

“I saw that!” 

Armin picked up his bag as quickly as he could and hurried up the stairs. Mikasa said nothing, only grinning mischievously. 

“Mikasa, will you carry the cooler down with me?” Connie asked from behind Sasha.

“Sure, one second,” she said, taking her bag upstairs. 

As soon as she was up the stairs, there was a heavy thud from one of the rooms. Their room. Worried that Armin might have fallen, or who knows what, she rushed in.

The heavy family album that Armin had fumbled lay next to him on the floor. Quickly, she crossed the room, resting her back on the bed as she drew him to her. He was crying so hard that nothing really came out. 

She bit back tears of her own as he explained, shakily and choppily, that one moment it had all been ok and next thing he knew, he had pulled out the album and dropped it. That he had brought the ‘stupid old thing’ so he could have a piece of his family with him. 

Mikasa was so focused that she did not hear Sasha enter the room. In a rare moment, Sasha silently took in the scene, only meeting Mikasa’s eyes. Mikasa glanced at the book involuntarily. Sasha read her thoughts and gently placed the album on the nightstand. She gave a weak smile to Mikasa and walked out as quietly as she had come.

Armin was no longer shaking. She worked her fingers over his hair and gently rubbed his shoulders.

“I wish he were here,” he whispered against her wet skin.

“I know. Me, too.”

She could faintly hear the sounds of people leaving the house and was glad for Sasha having checked on them. They could join everyone later.

Armin sat up and rubbed his face all over his shirt, forfeiting it to snot.

His voice was stuffy and he did not look at her. “Are you sure you want to marry someone like me? I’m so-”

She couldn’t bear to hear whatever he was going to say. “Amazing?” she cut him off. She wiped a fresh tear away and tucked his hair behind his ear. 

He shook his head and stared at his lap. She switched tactics.

“Well, I guess you’re right. We better call it off. I definitely wouldn’t want to marry someone who has feelings.”

He gave a grin-grimace and turned away from her completely.

“You better not be hiding a smile from me, mister.”

She reached to try and force his face towards her. He pulled further away and held his hand out to stop her, but did not put up much of a fight. By the time she got to him, he was on the floor. She rolled him over, blue eyes shining and red and puffy, but a half smile on his face. She stole a kiss and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed.

“Don’t be. I’m sorry he’s not here. That they aren’t here.” 

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Mikasa laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. It was not close enough. She pulled his shirt up to his armpits.

“Mikasa?” He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down and put her ear to his chest. She shut her eyes and let her other hand rest on right above his stomach. He lay still, one arm around her.

“What are you doing?” He whispered.

“Nothing.”

“Hmm.” She felt his pulse quicken.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Our first kiss. I can’t believe you requested this room. You remembered the shells?”

“Hard to forget.”

A memory of his stunned face resurfaced. How it changed to determination as he walked towards her. A little laugh escaped her when she remembered Eren interrupting them.

“What’s so funny?”

“I can’t believe Eren caught us.”

Armin snickered and kissed the top of her head before sitting up. She released him and sat back on her heels.

“We should catch up with everyone.” He brought her face to his lips, nearly touching. She could feel the rapid shift in his mood. “And I really hope you brought that new swimsuit.”

She moved to capture his lips, but he was already moving away. He evaded her reach for his leg, already at the door. That was fast. She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m going to get you for that.”

“Good luck,” he teased, then raced away down the hall. 

She was faster, but he had a head start. He had stunned her just long enough to make a difference. He had also left obstacles. The bedroom door was closed. The front door knob had gotten locked. She saw a glint of blonde hair in the sun disappear down the porch steps before she could get the door open.

By the time she reached the bottom, he was halfway down the street. She bet it was killing him not to look back. But, he must know that it would cost him too much in time. It was all or nothing when he decided to make something a competition.

She gave chase, slowed slightly by flip flops. This was a disadvantage for both of them, at least. Wait, no. She squinted. Armin had strap-on sandals. No wonder she was having trouble closing the distance.

As soon as she felt sand beneath her feet, she let her footwear fall off. The sand resisted her, but she was sprinting now. She could see all of their friends watching as she flew through their encampment. Armin was abandoning his own shoes and splashing into the water. 

She heard Sasha cheer her name. At the same time, her feet hit wet sand. Armin finally stopped, turning, a huge boyish grin on his face. What a mistake. Or on purpose. Either way.

“Ouhhf!” Was all she heard as she pulled him down with her. Her hands were on his skin and that was when she realized he had already taken off his shirt. She resurfaced, feeling like a wet cat, with shorts and a tank top soaked through.

“Nice swimsuit.” He grabbed her waist from behind and pulled her back down. 

Their butts were in the sand, making the water chest-high for both of them. She looked down to see her new black swimsuit completely visible beneath the wet fabric.

He surprised her with a salty kiss on the lips.

She shoved his shoulder playfully once they broke apart. “Hey! Everyone is watching.”

“I don’t care,” he said, grinning still. His eyes were shining and he took her breath away. “And look!”

He brought his other hand out of the water. Between his thumb and index finger was a hermit crab who was now pinching at the air.

“Do you think he’d like to visit Hange?”

Mikasa laughed. “No.”

Armin smiled at her. “Me neither.” He lowered his hand back into the water, gently releasing his captive.

She looked back to the shore. Everyone had gone back to whatever they must have been doing before the disruption that had been her and Armin. 

She got up and offered her hand to Armin. Once they had walked out of the water, Armin looked down.

“Where are your shoes?”

-

The warm water over her hot skin made her wish she had more time. Her shower turn would be over soon. The thought of Armin waiting for her in the bed was enough to comfort her, at least. An extra few minutes would not be so bad, right?

Her hand slid down and made experimental contact. She bit her lip and thought about Armin’s tongue, making little circles.

The door hinges squeaked. “Mikasa?”

“Sasha!” She was so startled, she nearly slipped. Her hands caught the wall in time to steady herself.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Sasha’s voice was lower than usual.

Mikasa let out a long breath and peeked around the curtain. Sasha looked nervous and was hugging her towel tightly. “Is everything ok? What are you doing here?”

“Um, it’s my turn next. And I wanted to ask you about something.”

“Oh, ok.”

Mikasa turned off the water and grabbed her towel without revealing more than a wet arm. Once securely wrapped, she opened the curtain.

“You didn’t have to stop right away.”

“No, I was, uh, done.” Mikasa hoped Sasha did not sense the tension left over in her voice. “But you can get in. I’ll stay here and we can talk.”

Sasha was shameless about Mikasa seeing her naked and stripped off her suit then and there before stepping into the tub and closing the curtain. Mikasa secretly wished for that kind of confidence. Well, at least she had it around Armin.

Water running, Sasha said, “I think tonight could be our first.”

“What?” Mikasa assumed this might have to do with Nicolo, but honestly was not sure.

“Uh, Nicolo and I. We haven’t, you know. I brought stuff just in case.”

“Oh.”

Mikasa had thought Sasha and Nicolo had already had sex. Now that she thought about it, she realized Sasha had never actually talked any details about their bedroom to Mikasa. The sound of Sasha showering went on for a little bit before Mikasa said,

“So what exactly are you asking me about?”

“Do you think it’s right? Or like, that he’s right?”

Mikasa mulled it over and chose her words carefully. “If you’re asking if I think Nicolo is a good guy, then yes. It seems like you really get along.”

“What was it like for you and Armin?”

Mikasa thought back to that night. Armin’s hands were clumsy and nervous. Her pants had gotten stuck at her ankles for way too long. Her breath was shallow. When she had pulled his boxers down is when she felt her hands shaking. It was not the first time she had seen him naked, but this time was different. Now, it was the last step before the next step. 

Soft and gentle as he was, it scared her to have him heavy above her the first time. He had sensed the tension in her face. She cringed to remember how she had flinched when he grabbed her wrist. 

“We don’t have to,” he had said right away, rolling to the side. 

But, she had still wanted him so badly. Unable to speak, she only reached down to touch him and feel the response. Hear the response. Then, she had delivered a hard kiss to try and say how much she wanted to go on. 

His voice had been breathy when she pulled away and he asked, “What about like this?”

How still and quiet he had been, waiting on her move. She had felt so self-conscious as she moved to straddle him, hands splayed on his chest. He was firm and steady. Like her own rock in the ocean. 

It had been a little tricky, both of them being new to that world. Her eyes had fluttered closed when she felt the tip begin to enter her. Too curious, though, she forced them back open. Slowly, she had lowered herself. Armin’s back had arched and his eyes squeezed shut. His cry and gasp for air was the first time she had heard him so out of control. She knew she wanted to hear it over and over.

Her name fell from his lips next, and after that it was a haze that had not lasted particularly long. Truthfully, penetration had not been very physically gratifying the first time, leaving her both sore and at the same time wanting. But, to have him inside her was a closeness she could not have wrapped her mind around before that moment. She had felt reluctant to slide off from him. Armin had never been the type to leave things one sided, though, and his nimble fingers would not leave her behind.

Mikasa smiled to herself, coming back to the reality of a steamy bathroom and the clammy counter she sat on. Compared to their current habits, their first time could be seen as awkward. It was one of her fondest memories.

She finally answered Sasha out loud. “Kind of scary.”

“Scary?”

“Yeah,” Mikasa nodded even though Sasha was behind the curtain, “but, good scary. We were just really nervous I guess. But it was also the very first time for both of us, so it was different. I don’t know about Nicolo, but I know you’re not a virgin.”

“Yeah, that’s true. And that was here, right?”

Mikasa laughed out loud. Sasha’s head peered around the curtain.

“Wasn’t it?” She asked.

“No, it wasn’t until school had started again. At the apartment.”

“What?” Sasha practically shouted.

“Shh!”

Sasha disappeared again and the water shut off. Mikasa handed her a towel.

“Sorry, I’m just surprised. Maybe I should be waiting more?”

“Sasha.” Mikasa slid off the counter. “You’re a grown woman and if you want to have sex with Nicolo, then you should. But, just because you’re sharing a room doesn’t mean you have to. He doesn’t seem like the type to try and talk you into it.”

Sasha’s face relaxed. “No, he isn’t. At least, I don’t think. You’re right, everything will be fine. I think I just wanted to talk to you about it. He makes me nervous. More nervous than anyone else.”

A pang of guilt hit Mikasa. What would Sasha say when she found out about her leaving?

“Yeah,” she replied softly.

“Thanks, I think I’ve made up my mind.” 

Mikasa watched in awe as Sasha walked straight out the door and into her room with only the towel wrapped around her. Mikasa shut the door and smiled to herself while putting on pajamas. The night was not over, but it was time to get comfortable. 

It took her a moment after stepping into the room to register that Armin was not there. Where could he have gone? Her arms crossed and she nearly missed the crisp piece of paper laying in the center of the bed. Right away, she knew this was some sort of scheme. Struggling between wanting to be annoyed and being completely in love at the same time, she snagged it from atop the covers.

 _“(Almost) Wife,”_ Armin’s voice played in her head as she read, _“You should know better than to let the groom see you the night before.”_

She turned the card over a few times, thinking there might be some sort of clue or puzzle. Nothing. She looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was only just after six in the evening and the sun had not even set. Their surprise ceremony would not be, assuming Connie’s schedule for them to be at the beach continued as planned, until the late morning. 

_How the hell is Armin supposed to hide until then?_

It was more likely to her that he might hide in plain sight, keep himself away from her, that sort of thing. But how? He was going to have to come to bed eventually, right? More importantly, could she thwart this plan? It was not the most sophisticated approach, but she stripped off her pj’s and dug through her suitcase. Ah ha.

In her hands were a pair of shorts. In fact, Armin’s favorite of her shorts. They were not particularly revealing, ripped, or fitted, but he liked them on her all the same. Step two required a little searching in Armin’s meticulously packed bag. 

Careful not to disturb the surrounding neatly folded items, she removed her target. A wonderfully soft sweater. She had bought it for him herself and he had taken to wearing it for lounging around in the evenings. This particular evening would be movie night and he was sure to miss it.

She felt both confident and surprisingly cozy as she made her way downstairs.

 _I should have snagged this thing ages ago,_ she thought, thumbing the edge of the fabric.

Half of everyone was still upstairs napping or, in Sasha’s case, probably something less innocent. Armin was not here, either, and she wondered where he could be.

“Hey.” She said, sitting on the couch next to Connie. He was flipping through TV channels. 

Jean sat nearby, on his phone. Ymir and Historia were pulling freezer pizzas out of their boxes for dinner. 

“Drinks anyone?” Historia called.

They were pleasantly surprised by a tray of cocktails placed on the coffee table in front of them.

“Wow, awesome,” Connie said genuinely, “What are these?”

“It’s a secret. All you need to know is that they are pink and they are delicious.”

Ymir walked in behind her. “Why, you boys can’t handle a pink drink?”

“That’s sexist,” Jean said, reaching for a glass. 

“Yeah, Ymir, you’re the one who hates pink.” Connie took a big drink from his.

Armin’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs. “Mikasa, have you seen my-”

He stopped and his eyes narrowed as soon as he saw her, a smirk tugging at his lips. She smiled at him openly. Where had he been hiding, anyway?

She snagged one of the pink drinks. “Seen your what?” She asked, playing innocent.

“Nevermind.”

Armin managed to avoid sitting on the couch until it had filled up completely. Everybody had one of Historia’s cocktails in hand. Plates of pizza and bowls of popcorn circulated. Armin strategically chose one of the chairs in the living room. Sasha sat beside Mikasa instead, relaxed, quiet, and smiling even more than usual. A dazed looking Nicolo sat to the other side of Sasha.

Two mystery drinks and three beers later, Mikasa found herself lying on the deck with Sasha, staring at the stars. It was a pleasant level of drunk. She would not be hungover, but also she was not qualified to operate any sort of heavy machinery. 

Armin was somewhere indoors and she had put very little effort into tracking him down. It really had nothing to do with scheming and had simply been a product of wanting to spend time with Sasha. It felt like a secret bachelorette party, drinking with Sasha, giggling over nothing. Okay, not nothing. Sasha was telling her tidbits about her time with Nicolo earlier.

Steps vibrated above their heads, but neither of them bothered to stop staring at the sky. Ymir’s face came into Mikasa’s frame of view.

“Hey, ladies. What d’you say to a little bonfire?”

“Yeah,” Historia’s face hovered next to Ymir’s, “Let’s go before the boys notice.”

Sasha giggled and spring to her feet. Mikasa stood up and straightened her hair.

“Do we need to carry anything?”

“Yeah, it’s in our car.” 

They crept down the steps and retrieved the items from Ymir’s parked car before heading towards the dark water. The sand looked almost grey in the moonlight. Almost.

Once they reached the sand, they stopped bothering to keep quiet. Sasha was certainly the loudest, but the drinks were getting to Mikasa’s head, too. She laughed loudly and freely. A guilt tugged at her knowing that she would be moving soon. Internally, she struggled with whether or not to tell him. It was less than twenty-four hours early, and she could swear them all to secrecy she was sure.

Armin might be a little upset if he found out. Then again, by the time he found it they would likely only be a few hours from announcing it themselves. No, she had to tell them.

A small fire was growing in their makeshift pit. Sasha pulled a few bottles of wine from one of the bags. Mikasa found some cups in the bag she had carried. They poured four. Before anything got too rowdy, Mikasa spoke up.

“I have something to tell you.”

Everyone turned to her, questions in their features. 

“But, you have to keep it a secret.” They agreed. “And you can’t tell Armin I told you.”

“I don’t want to hear about any freaky shit,” Ymir inserted. Sasha laughed.

Mikasa laughed a little, too. “No! No, it’s not like that. I just have to tell you that Armin and I, we’re moving back home. We were going to tell everyone tomorrow, but I can’t spend all night with you and not say anything.”

Sasha spilled her wine a little when she wrapped Mikasa in a smothering hug. 

“You can’t leave meee!”

Mikasa hugged her back. “I’m sorry, Sasha. I don’t want to leave _you_. We just want to go home.”

Sasha did not protest or cry. She only groaned, sat back, and took a long drink from her cup.

“Wow. Are you moving into his grandfather’s house?” Historia asked.

“Yeah.”

“So, it's a good thing, right?” Ymir was straightforward as always.

“Yeah. It is. And we’ll have guest rooms! So, you can all visit any time.”

“Then, congrats!” Historia held her cup up to toast. Mikasa obliged, smiling. 

“Are you going to get married and have babies or what?” Sasha was already refilling her cup.

Mikasa blushed and knew that the wedding secret she definitely could not blow. As for children, she spoke truthfully. “Uh, I don’t know. Not yet. One day, I think.”

Sasha let out a little shriek. “You _have_ to invite me!”

“Obviously!” Mikasa bumped her with her shoulder. “But, seriously, you can’t say anything, ok?”

Her implore was met with a chorus of ‘yeah, of course.’ She relaxed and took a long sip of wine.

“Wait, when?” Sasha yelled out, realization hitting her that this information had not been indulged.

 _Uh oh._ Mikasa swallowed hard.

“Um, in a few weeks.”

“What!” came from Sasha and Historia.

“We need more wine,” Ymir remarked casually, reaching over to pull two more bottles from a nearby bag. They all refilled.

“Spend the night with me?” Sasha grabbed Mikasa’s arm. “Please! Like old times.”

“What about Nicolo?”

“He can just stay with Armin! They’re cool, right? Or the couch. Fuck, I don’t care, we could stay on the couch. We could just stay up all night. Just, something before you go.”

Funnily enough, it looked like Armin’s little scheme would really be coming to fruition after all. 

“Yes, ok, yes!” Sasha was shaking her and Mikasa needed it to stop before she lost all her wine to the sand. Sasha whooped. 

An answering call was heard from the end of the road. All four of them looked up at the entrance to the beach.

Connie was sauntering across the sand, Jean, Nicolo, and Armin in tow. Armin looked almost shy when he caught Mikasa’s gaze. It made her heart jump. 

“Hey, what the fuck?” Ymir yelled across the beach. 

Jean flipped her off, making Connie and Sasha both laugh. They were close enough to talk now.

“I could ask the same thing,” Jean said. He plucked up a bottle of wine and took a swig.

“Hey!” Historia made a grab attempt on the bottle, but he pulled it out of range.

Armin brushed against Mikasa as he sat down in the sand. 

“Okay, you win,” he said, low enough for only her to hear.

Another internal conflict. Did she want to leave right now and take Armin to the bedroom and make him shout out her name while everyone was at the beach? Yes. The desire was nearly enough to change her mind. But, when she looked at Sasha, she knew. Armin’s plan really was about to backfire on him.

“Too late,” she whispered back.

His stunned face said it all, eyes wide and mouth in a cute little O. It was not fair at all, testing her resolve like this. Pieces of blonde hair were nearly in his eyes. 

“Your hair is getting long,” Mikasa said, leaning in towards him. She liked how messy it looked right now. 

“Yeah,” he breathed back. He closed the distance and trapped her lips in a tender kiss. 

She should care about being in front of everyone right now, but for some reason her mind was blank. Yes, she should take him back to the seashell room after all. Knowing they would be married (or, almost married as Armin would say in regards to paperwork) in the morning was making her feel drunk. Ok, that, and all the wine. She gave a little tongue and heard his tiny gasp.

Jean’s voice penetrated their fog. “Get a room!”

Armin turned his head reluctantly, wanting to look into Mikasa’s eyes as long as possible. But then he focused on Jean and said cooly,

“We have one.” Armin’s confident tone hit Mikasa with a wave of heat. She gave Jean a challenging look, daring him to say more.

His shocked face said it all. Jean did not even roll his eyes. He only leaned back and took a long swig of wine. Mikasa wound her fingers into Armin’s, and was very close to succumbing. 

“Nope!” Sasha cut in loudly. “Sorry Armin, Mikasa is coming with _me_ tonight.”

“Yeah, so keep it in your pants.” Ymir sneered at him.

He looked at Mikasa, eyebrows high. Mikasa noticed that Nicolo was completely unsurprised. Either he truly understood Sasha’s antics already, or she had notified him somehow. 

“Sasha’s right.” Mikasa smiled at Sasha, who pumped her fist.

Armin gave a face. Defeat, with a hint of amusement. And definitely a little desire still in his eyes.

It was not long, however, before they were trudging back up to the house. The boy’s arrival had quickly drained the last of their wine rations. Sandy and tired, they crawled their way up the stairs.

“Jean, give me the key.” Connie reached his hand out.

“I don’t have it, you have it.”

“No dude, I told you to grab it and lock the door.”

Silence.

Jean looked around nervously, realization sinking in. “I thought you said you grabbed it. And for me to lock the door.”

There was a collective groan before arguing, some of which was slurred, broke out between Jean, Connie, and Ymir.

“Shut up!” Historia’s voice boomed.

They fell speechless. Everyone turned to stare at her. She crossed her arms.

“First, everyone check that they don’t have it. Then, if we really are locked out, we need to figure out what to do.”

Mikasa obediently began checking her pockets. Nothing but a phone. She buzzed now, having tapered her wine intake since the bonfire, and the situation was shocking her back to full reality What time was it?

Twelve-thirty six nearly blinded her. She quickly turned the brightness down on the phone. Beneath the clock she saw a text from Levi, only four minutes old.

 **Levi:** Please tell me the time again for tomorrow. Erwin wants to confirm for the millionth time.

A solution. A long shot, but perhaps a solution.

“Historia!”

“Do you have the key?” Historia walked over to her excitedly.

“No, but I might know someone who can get us in.”

Mikasa turned to Armin. He knew immediately what she was talking about. Levi, they had found out once, was extremely versed at lockpicking. But, if he and Erwin came here, it would be silly for them to drive another hour back home just to come back for the ceremony tomorrow. 

There was a good chance of blowing their surprise. They could explain the two men not wanting to drive sleepless, but how would they explain them sticking around until ten or eleven with a bunch of partying twenty-somethings?

Armin nodded at her and said, “Ask if they can come.” 

The line rang once. Twice. 

“Mikasa? Is everything ok?” Erwin’s voice.

“Yes, sorry for calling so late. I saw that Levi was up.”

“It’s no problem.” Erwin said no more, clearly waiting to hear why she had called at this hour.

“Is there any chance you can come to the beach right now? We’ve locked ourselves out of the beachouse. I know, it’s a huge favor.”

“Ah,” she could hear the smile in his voice, “you require Levi’s skills. And since we were coming anyway and it is too late for a locksmith-”

Levi must have snatched the phone. “It sounds to me like we’re going to the beach at one in the fucking morning.”

Mikasa said nothing, fearing he was upset. Maybe she should not have called. She steadied herself on the balcony railing.

“Good, I’m so fucking bored lately,” Levi finished. Mikasa heard Erwin say something in the background, but could not make out the words.

“Thank you so much. You can stay the night in our bed.”

“Deal. Hey, won’t this mess up the surprise? Erwin’s asking.”

“Probably.”

Levi let out a short laugh. “We’ll see you in an hour.” He had hung up before she could thank him again.

Everyone had stopped and had been watching Mikasa. 

“We have an hour,” she announced.

Jean groaned. “And no more wine.”

“We’re not that bad, Jean,” Connie pouted. Jean glared a little.

“Fine, let’s play a game!” 

“Like what?” Jean scoffed.

“Hmmm… We could play Never Have I Ever.”

Jean laughed and shook his head. “We’re not in college anymore, Connie.”

“Who cares! I bet it will be way more interesting. We’re here on a deck, locked out, thank _you_ , with zero entertainment.”

Jean sighed but Historia piped up, “Yeah, why not, Jean?”

Ymir looked at her girlfriend with a glare. Mikasa was thrown. She thought those looks were reserved only for people that insulted said girlfriend.

“It’s decided!” Connie sat straight on the wood decking and held up one hand. “Thumbs count tonight.”

Sasha plopped down next to him, one hand and held up. Historia and Nicolo both joined. Armin and Mikasa shared a look. This seemed like dangerous territory, proved by Ymir’s scowl. The circle of sitters whined until they, along with Jean and Ymir, joined them. 

Mikasa and Armin could always lie if it got too racy. But, for some reason, Mikasa knew they were not going to. Maybe it was the buzz she still felt. Or, maybe it was just the nature of the game.

“Who starts?” Connie looked around the circle.

“You started this,” Ymir muttered.

“Fine, I’ll start!” He was unnerved by Ymir’s attitude. Mikasa felt Armin tense a little when Connie began to talk.

“Never have I eveerrr kissed a dude.”

“Real original,” Jean rolled his eyes. 

All the girls except Ymir tucked their thumbs in. Armin’s thumb drew into his palm as well. Sasha was up.

“Uhhh. Ok. I have never - no, that’s not true. Um. I have never… sent nudes.”

That was one more down for Historia. Ymir, Connie, and Jean lost their thumbs. Nicolo remained the most pures so far. And he was next.

“Never have I ever been hungover.”

“What?” was the collective question. Everyone was one more down except him.

“Dude, like how?” Connie asked.

“To be hungover would require that I drink.”

“What have you been drinking all night?” Jean was incredulous. 

Nicolo held up a water bottle. Everyone was staring at him and Mikasa felt obligated as Sasha’s friend to hurry up and start her turn before a wave of questions hit him.

“I’ve never stolen anything,” she blurted out. Boring, but fast. 

She had not had any time to consider anything more creative. Ymir lost another finger. 

“Shit, Ymir,” Jean commented. Ymir flipped him off. Armin’s turn.

“Um. I have never gotten into a fist fight.”

Jean lost his third. Ymir groaned. She was four fingers down already. And she was next.

“Ok, _Arlert_ , never have I ever had it up the ass.”

“That’s targeting,” Armin whined.

“And allowed, last I checked.” Ymir held him with a nasty grin.

Armin groaned and put down his third finger. Sasha quietly put down one of hers, but it was lost when Connie, in all his innocent glory, burst out,

“But, I thought you and Bertolt never-”

Mikasa cut him off with steely eyes. It was too late. Armin was already turning a deep red. She was sure he had been betting on their friends assuming it had been another man from before they had dated. 

They might have saved the situation, since no one knew when Armin had lost his virginity besides her. Then, the nail in the coffin. He looked at Mikasa guiltily. 

Laughter and ‘oh my god’ erupted around them. Armin buried his face in his hands. For once in her life, she had never been so grateful to hear Levi’s voice.

“What the fuck are you doing?” His face was dispassionate as always and his arms crossed. 

“Hello, I’m Erwin. Please excuse Levi.” Erwin loomed behind. What a pair. 

Mikasa sprung up. “Thank you so much for coming all this way! That was fast.” 

Levi tsk’d. “I drive fast.” 

Erwin rested a hand on Levi’s shoulder.

“Perhaps you should get to the door, dear.”

Connie had come to thank Levi personally, but he grumbled and shooed him away. Erwin handed Levi a small kit of some kind and off he went.

Armin was standing beside her now, blush mostly faded. Erwin shook his hand.

“Armin, great to see you. How did Hange take the news? I’m sure she’s very disappointed to lose you.”

 _So much for that._

By now, it was just a matter of rolling with the punches. What else could this night bring? 

“You’re leaving the lab?” Jean stood up.

Mikasa took Armin’s hand and lightly squeezed it. She locked eyes with Sasha, who’s pained look hurt her.

“Yeah,” Armin said. “Actually, we’re moving. We’re going back home.”

Nicolo wrapped his arm around Sasha and Mikasa was grateful he was here. Connie patted Armin on the back. 

“Oh, congrats? Right?” 

“Yeah, thanks.”

Connie smiled and Armin gave a little grin. 

“I’m sorry, I thought your friends already knew,” Erwin said to them.

“It’s ok, Erwin. While we’re making announcements, though.” She turned to Armin who smiled and nodded, eyes bright. 

“Uh,” she still looked at Sasha, “and we’re getting married.”

They were immediately surrounded. Sasha threw herself on them. Congratulations were flowing until Nicolo asked the usual next question.

“When’s the wedding?”

Mikasa and Armin froze. It felt like neither of them could speak. The heat of the spotlight made them nervous. Thankfully, Erwin stepped in.

“Well, now that we’ve arrived, any time you would like.” 

Sasha felt like a boa constrictor around her. Mikasa tried to talk, but found it difficult to breathe. 

“You’re getting married? Right now?! And you didn’t tell me! Please tell me we can have a midnight wedding.” 

“It’s a bit past midnight. And you should certainly get married tonight so I don’t have to get sand off my feet tomorrow. And the door’s open.” Levi had a hint of a smile and Mikasa truly was not sure if it was about her marriage or the success with the door. 

“We kinda wanted to surprise you all.” Armin ran a hand through his hair.

“Wait, so did you lock us out?” Connie frowned.

“Lock us? No! It was going to be tomorrow, originally.”

Erwin chuckled. “Yes, the lock picking part was genuine.” He smiled at Levi fondly. Mikasa silently told herself to ask them how they met later.

“What are we still doing out here?” Jean went through the unlocked door and began turning on lights. The rest of them shuffled in after him. 

Erwin stood with Mikasa and Armin outside for a moment. “You know, I was serious. I could marry you tonight if you would like.”

“I’m sure you’re tired, we can do it in the morning.”

Levi smirked. “There, Mr. Romance. There go your plans for a surprise two a.m. wedding.”

“Are you ready for bed, then?”

Levi hmphfed in response. Mikasa had to rely on Erwin for the correct interpretation.

“Ah, see, even you like a little romance. Mikasa, Armin, we are more than happy to do it right now.”

Sasha cried from the door, “Yes! Please, Mika?”

Mikasa smiled childishly. For someone who did not want a wedding, Sasha sure did like watching them. 

“Ok, you announce it, then.” Mikasa had barely spoken ‘ok’ before Sasha had already gone back inside.

She and Armin made their way inside, finding a decent spot to stand. Erwin was right behind them. Levi was in a corner, nursing a drink already.

Erwin introduced himself and their little crowd fell silent. Without further ado, he launched into their short, odd ceremony. It was happening so fast and Mikasa could only focus on Armin to stay grounded. His eyes shone and his soft expression made her smile.

“Mikasa, do you take Armin Arlert to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Yes,” she breathed. She did.

“Armin, do you-”

“Yes!” He squeaked out early. Erwin grinned.

“Well, you know what to do.” Levi wore a face of indifference, but Mikasa thought she could see something happy behind the stoney eyes. 

Mikasa felt so shy suddenly. Why did they think this was a good idea? They hated being front and center. Armin stared into her eyes. 

_Oh, yeah._

She grabbed his hands and he took her lips in a shockingly passionate kiss. There was clapping and Mikasa found a glass of champagne in her hands. Where had this even come from? She glanced over to see that Armin had one, too.

“Music!” Sasha cried out. Connie was already at the speaker, phone in hand.


	9. Home

“Armin, your boxes are _too_ heavy!” Sasha’s complaint carried from the moving truck, across the porch, and into the front hall where he stood with Mikasa. 

“They aren’t that bad,” Annie muttered, walking through the front door with ease, box in her arms.

“Looks like I’m off book-box duty this time around,” Mikasa commented. 

Armin smiled at her and went down to help Sasha.

“Here, give me that,” he said, taking the box from Sasha’s arms. 

Actually, it was fairly heavy for him and he was working hard to try not to show it. That is, until the porch steps loomed evilly in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and huffed when suddenly the weight lifted and Mikasa was giving him a little smirk. He might have complained in the past, but accepted the assistance without argument this time.

“Wow,” Sasha gasped at his side, “we gotta work out more. When’s lunch, anyways?”

“Uh, we’re almost done with the boxes, so we can probably leave in a few minutes.”

“Oh, thank god,” Sasha grumbled and left to plop down on the old porch swing. 

Armin felt a wave of nostalgia roll over him. He remembered sitting in that swing as a boy. Eren would come running from his house or ride his bike. They would spend all day together. Soon, Mikasa had joined them. He had always been excited when she came along.

And she was here now, in a new way. He looked up at the front door and there she stood, chatting with Eren. Armin felt his lips tug upwards at the sight. Eren looked so funny with his military haircut and he wondered if he would grow it back out whenever he got out. 

Mikasa was as tall as Eren, dressed casually and looking comfortable. The old scarf wrapped once around her beautiful neck. He would like very much to tug it away and kiss her there. She had retrieved it from her old bedroom at the Yeager’s, but it meant something new these days. A piece of family. In some ways, family for both of them, now that Armin’s only known living relative had left town without a word.

Time felt slowed. The sun was warm and soothing. Charcoal eyes met his, and he could only smile like a little kid. She smiled back and time began to catch up. Eren and Annie were walking towards the truck and then gathering the last few boxes. There were two left.

As Mikasa came down the pathway, he finally felt motivated enough to move his feet. He fell in step with her. She reached into the truck and slid out the last box. She stopped before lifting, turning to him.

“Armin?”

“Yeah?” He leaned into the truck, watching her intently.

“I love you.”

Another boyish smile. When was the last time he felt so light?

“I love you, too.”

He leaned in and she bent slightly down, gently bringing her soft lips to his. Obscured by the truck and the trees, Armin let himself sink into the moment. He let his fingers gently touch her jaw, feeling the motion underneath the skin as she deepened the kiss.

Steps crunched on the gravel drive and they jumped apart, blushing, just before Carla and Grisha came into view. If they suspected anything, they did not say.

“Hello! I’m so glad you’re here. Eren called us and said you would be ready for lunch soon, so we thought we would walk over.”

Mikasa gave Carla a hug who then came to give Armin a hug. Grisha shook their hands, having always been hug-averse. Eren came striding out to the drive to greet his parents, Annie along with him. 

“Ok, there will be pizza here very soon. Hopefully Sasha doesn’t eat us first.” 

“Thank you, Eren. And have we missed Mikasa and Armin’s gift?” Carla’s bright eyes shined.

“Oh, no, I was waiting on you.”

Armin gave Eren and Carla a questioning look. What did they mean, a gift for them?

“Just a little move in present. Come look.”

Look? Mikasa and he exchanged glances, but followed Eren and Annie. Carla and Grisha walked behind them. Their crowd somehow absorbed Sasha, too, after passing through the threshold.

“Where are we going?” Mikasa asked Eren.

“You guys really should get to know your own house better.” Eren gave a playful grin before stopping at the door to the old master suite. 

Armin shifted nervously. He had not had the heart to go in there yet. In fact, he was particularly anxious about sorting through his grandfather’s belongings. A process which, due to the lack of family claims, was being repeatedly procrastinated. What could possibly be in there? He felt himself being led through the open door by Eren.

He looked around, shocked. The room was beyond recognition. For a moment he questioned if there was a room in the house he simply had not known about. A quick peek at Mikasa confirmed that she was equally surprised.

“So, all your grandpa’s stuff is mostly sorted thanks to Mom and Dad. It’s in boxes in the attic and you can go through it whenever you’re ready, you know? Well, except the books, as you can see.”

Armin could see. He found himself standing by a large bookcase. What had once been haphazard stacks around his grandfather’s bed were now a neatly shelved collection. A cozy chair had been wedged into the corner. 

Everything was changed. He could still smell the paint, it was so fresh. He recognized the bed and furniture from the guest room. Mikasa had prepared it for Sasha earlier and must not have noticed the swap. Carla chimed in next.

“We switched the furniture with the guest room. We thought you wouldn’t want to get rid of it, but I know it’s hard to look at so soon.”

“Are you, uh, going to say anything?” Eren looked hopefully at Armin, then at Mikasa. “I hope you like it.”

“You did this?” Was all he managed to say. 

“Yeah, well, with help, you know? My parents picked stuff out and painted. Annie and I did most of the furniture moving when we got back a few days ago. The bathroom is pretty much the same, but we still got some new stuff in there, too.” Eren actually fidgeted at the lack of speech from either of them. 

Armin wished he could say how much he loved it. He wanted to explain what it meant to him. His throat felt tight and dry and all he could do was let Mikasa pull him and Eren into an incredibly firm hug. 

“It’s- it’s, uh…” Armin swallowed hard, trying to force anything meaningful out. Eren beamed at his lack of words, though. 

“Armin, speechless? Never thought I would see the day,” Grisha said, laying his arms over Carla’s shoulders.

Sasha sat on the bed. “Poor Mika, she’ll never see Armin ever again. He’ll never leave that chair.” Everyone chuckled.

“Hmm, I would see him from here,” Mikasa sat next to Sasha and smiled.

Armin could still barely speak, but managed a quiet, “Thank you,” which only earned him a bigger hug from Carla and Eren. He managed a real laugh when Sasha asked Mikasa,

“So, lunch?”

Right on time, the doorbell rang and everyone filed back out to the living room. Annie went to accept a stack of pizzas. They followed her and the promise of cheesy deliciousness to the kitchen. 

Grisha sat down at the table and asked, “So, Mikasa, you start at the school in a few weeks?”

“Yep.”

“Good, I’m glad it worked out.”

“Well, thank you for your recommendation, Grisha.”

He nodded and Eren cut in. “What about you Armin? You’re going to the university, right?”

Armin nodded, mouth full of pizza. Swallowing, he said, “I was supposed to be a research assistant. But, an opening came up, and now I’ll be running the library for the science departments. They were very interested in starting a possible research collaboration with my old lab, though.”

Eren’s laugh filled the kitchen, soon being joined by everyone but Mikasa. Armin felt his face heat up, but was not sure why.

“Of course you are.”

Ok, Eren did have a point. And he _was_ very excited about the job. Mikasa’s fingers gently squeezed his thigh under the table. 

-

Only the moon lit the room. It felt strange to be home and not be in his bedroom. Although, he supposed, this _was_ his bedroom now. Their bedroom. 

“You know, you’ll have to try to be quiet.”

He nodded and grinned. “To be fair, I think you take partial blame for the last time. I think there should be a no-guests policy for that particular activity.”

“I definitely agree. Eren and Annie would have nothing on Sasha’s taunts. She still brings up when we played Never Have I Ever.”

“Our wedding night,” he whispered, getting closer to her lips.

“Mmm.” She closed her eyes. 

Armin let his fingers wander, tracing her hips and sides. She jolted suddenly, giggling.

“That tickled!”

He smiled and reached for the same spot, getting a little wiggle out of her. She grabbed his wrist before he could do much else. It was not a loose grip. Heat built in his stomach.

“I thought you said I need to be quiet?” He teased. She let go of his wrist, frowning.

“Unfortunately, you’re right. We’ll have to keep it simple.”

He felt slightly disappointed as she let go of him. But, the soft touches they were now exchanging more than made up for it. His fingers hovered at the elastic of her underwear and she rocked her hips to make contact. He withdrew.

“You know,” he grinned at her, “If I’m the problem, who’s to say I can’t torture you?”

Mikasa groaned quietly as he repositioned himself. Hovering over her midsection, he began kissing, making his way down. Slowly, painstakingly, he kissed and nibbled her hips. She lifted her hips frustratedly, but he held her down. She could certainly overpower him, but he knew she liked when he took control sometimes.

Pinning her, he teased with kisses over her, separated only by thin fabric. Her noises were subdued and Armin was glad he was not on the receiving end. He had only proved that he had no volume control when it came to their sex life. A fact that, typically, made things better. He shuddered briefly at the thought of Sasha teasing them. She would definitely never let it go or be quiet about it.

He was careful when he slid the lacy underwear down Mikasa’s legs. He restarted his teasing, this time starting at the ankles. She gave him a look that was almost mean. He smirked in return and ran a hand through his hair. He made sure to leave it a little messy. She narrowed her eyes and laid her head back down. 

Soon, he was up to the thigh and as soon as he was in reach, she grabbed a fistful of hair. His moan was hardly as controlled as hers had been, but she did not let go. This time, he tongue met her and he got a sweet little whimper from her. Two fingers slipped in, a little tricky, but worth it as she bucked to meet him. 

Her breathing was hard and fast. “Ah-Armin. So close. Ah!” 

Soft gasping only made him harder. He felt tight and tortured himself. He flicked his tongue faster and harder and was met by her delightful, if quiet, cries. As she stilled, he withdrew his fingers and gave a few final licks. It was a little sore where she had grabbed his hair, but he liked it. Again, he wished she could be rougher with him right now. 

He came back to her level, and was met with a heated stare. She was already handing him a condom. 

“Mikasa,” he whispered, “I don’t know if I can handle it.”

Her only response was a rough kiss, tongue venturing into his mouth. He could never resist. She led him back on top of her and he rocked his hips against her. She tugged at his waistband and he sat up, sliding it off.

“What if-” he began to protest weakly.

“Just use the pillow. I want you inside me, Armin.”

He could hardly breath at that, rolling the condom on as quickly as possible. She leaned forward enough to fondle his ass and he moaned. She grabbed his hips and pulled him closer, desperately. Obediently, he laid back down with her and guided himself in slowly. He was already having trouble staying any kind of quiet, and groaned deeply.

He shoved his face beside hers and into their bedding. He would much rather watch her or stay above for better leverage, but that would do nothing to mute him. Mikasa moved with him, which drove him even crazier. How did she do this to him? 

Just then, she ran her nails down his spine and he shoved his lips into her shoulder to cry out. He heard her gasp in response as his teeth grazed her skin. He couldn’t - A wild noise escaped him, and he had no idea if Mikasa’s skin was going to dampen the sound enough. 

He stilled, exhausted, and pulled out slowly. Before he could get further from her, Mikasa pulled him into a deep kiss. He melted into it, reluctant to pull away. But, he knew they had to clean up and go to sleep. 

He slipped from the bed and completed the routine in their bathroom. As he washed his hands, he caught his reflection in the mirror. His hair was every which way and his lips were red. He looked nearly crazy, really. Attempting to finger-comb a few tangles, he wandered back into the bedroom. Mikasa was already rolled over and curled up under the covers. 

She hummed as he slid in beside her and draped his arm over her. Sleep took him within the minute.


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple chapters posted, so you may need to go back one or two.

**10 Years Later**

Mikasa could hear her steps echo down the empty halls. How familiar they were to her. Whatever lonely thoughts she might have gotten lost in were promptly interrupted. Childish screams and laughter were just around the corner, growing louder fast.

Eren appeared suddenly, slowing his jogging pace to round the corner. He came to a rough stop in front of her. Mikasa crossed her arms and feigned annoyance.

“No running in the halls, Mr. Yeager,” she said smugly. 

The child hanging on his shoulders giggled and chimed in, “Yeah! No running, _Mr. Yeager_.”

Eren chuckled and knelt down. The little girl slid off easily.

“That’s _Uncle_ to you. We’re out of class.”

“And it’s summer!” She cried happily before running to hug Mikasa’s waist. 

“Is dad already at the party?”

“Yep.” She put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, smiling.

Eren was still kneeling and said, “Now wait a second, how old are you? Five already?”

Her little crystalline eyes rolled, but she smiled wide.

“You definitely can’t be six already.” Eren’s grin was equally childish.

She knew better, but still took the bait. “I’m _eight_.”

“No!”

“Ugh!” 

“Ok, come on. We better go.” Mikasa interrupted. Left to their own devices, they could play around all day.

“Alright. Rose, want a ride to the car?”

“Yeah!” She threw her arms back around his neck. He hoisted her legs up at his sides. This time, no running.

“Annie went over a little while to help Armin out with setting stuff up.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“And you know my mom has been making the cake all day.”

Mikasa chuckled. She did know. “She’s too good.”

“She considers it her duty as a grandparent.” There was a mocking undertone when he said the word ‘grandparent’ that Mikasa did not miss.

“How is that going?”

“Oooh, Uncle, are you and Aunt Annie going to have a baby?” Rose chimed in. 

Eren shot Mikasa a look, but answered in a cheerful voice, “Only if the stork accepts our application!”

“You don’t have to apply! Dad told me, you-” 

“Woah! That’s not what I’m talking about, kid. Your aunt and I are trying to adopt.”

Mikasa held her hand to her face, unable to suppress the amused smile. Of course, Armin had insisted on answering all of their child’s questions, with appropriate accuracy. Eren shook his head and gave Mikasa a stunning smile. 

“Actually, our case manager said there may be a child.” 

“Eren.” They stopped for a moment, just before the car. “That’s incredible.”

“Am I going to have a cousin?” 

Eren dropped back down to the ground, letting Rose off a second time.

“You just might.”

“Yay!”

“Have you told your parents?” Mikasa asked Eren, out of earshot.

“I was going to tell them today.”

“You’d better hurry or she’ll beat you to it.”

Mikasa chuckled and slid into the driver’s seat. It was a short drive from the school to her house. She and Eren usually carpooled since they both worked at the school. When the weather was nicer, sometimes they all walked together.

As soon as they pulled up to the house, Rose bounded out of the car. Armin crouched at the foot of the porch steps to accept her hug. 

“I want that,” Eren muttered, still buckled in. Mikasa shut off the car.

“It sounds like you’re getting approved soon, though?”

“Yeah, we think this might be it.” 

They shared a look as they heard her little girl shout,

“Dad, I might get a cousin!”

“Told you,” Mikasa said to Eren before getting out of the car. He quickly followed, walking towards a very inquisitive Carla and Grisha on the porch behind Armin. 

Armin gracefully resisted eavesdropping, keeping focus on Rose.

“Is that so? That’s very exciting. How was your last day of school, birthday girl?”

“Good. Eren gave me a piggy back after class.”

Armin smiled brightly and straightened up now that Mikasa stood beside him. 

“And how was your last day of school?”

“Pleasantly uneventful,” Mikasa said, remembering last year when a child had puked in her office.

“That’s good. I’m sort of jealous you get the summer off.”

“Hmm, but you get to read all day, don’t you?”

“I do have to work sometimes.”

Rose ran out the front door, having already dumped her backpack upstairs.

“Can we do cake first?”

Armin turned to Carla, saying, “I’m going to leave that up to the chef.”

“Of course!” Carla said enthusiastically. “Right this way.”

-

Mikasa lounged on one end of the couch. It was getting late. She had already confirmed that Rose had passed out. Mikasa had gently bookmarked Rose’s page and turned out her lights.

_Like father, like daughter._

Across the couch, Armin’s head had fallen back to the cushions. His reading glasses were a little askew. Having learned from lost pages, he had already bookmarked before ‘just closing his eyes a little while.’

She yawned and checked the clock. Eleven twenty. Definitely time to turn in. They had been up later than usual. Eren and Annie had stayed after the party for a while, filling them in about the details of their pending adoption. Even Annie’s normally smooth features lit up as they discussed the very real possibility of getting a child soon. 

Mikasa was glad. Annie had been sad for a long time when they found out she would not be able to carry a child. It could not have helped that their doctor was her father in law. But, her smile had matched Eren’s when she said it might be a little boy. 

Mikasa got up and stretched before her next move. She had not done this in a while. Sliding her arms around him, she lifted Armin bride-style. Sometimes he gave her crap for being so into her workouts, but it was pretty cool that she could lift her own husband. Not that he had ever been particularly heavy. 

She grunted a little. Well, he had filled out a little now. He was not much bigger, but he was sturdier. Maybe it was all that time picking up Rose. She certainly had grown fast.

“Wha..” He sleepily stirred. 

Coming to his senses, he laughed. “Mikasa, what are you doing? Put me down!”

She laughed, pushing open their bedroom door with her toes. It had already been unlatched. She did not stop until she could fling him onto the bed. Well, more like drop at this point.

He laughed a little, but then rubbed his sleepy eyes and sighed. When he ran his hand through his hair and dropped it to the bed, she could see he was lost in thought. She lowered herself next to him.

“What’re you thinking about?”

“That we’re still alive.”

Mikasa turned to look at him. “Definitely a plus.”

“Sorry,” he gave her a little smile, “I just mean that Rose is older than I was when I lost my parents. I know anything could happen, but I’m just happy she’s so happy. And that we’re going to be here when she grows up.”

“Yeah.” Mikasa sighed and moved to lay her head on his chest. “Me, too. And she has your eyes.”

“Huh?”

“I’m really glad she has your eyes.” Mikasa propped herself up, looking into Armin’s. So bright.

He chuckled. “Maybe I wanted her to have your eyes.” His face stilled. “No, I don’t mean that. She’s perfect.”

“I know. Although…” Her hand drifted downwards and squeezed, eliciting a soft groan. “Who knows. If we had another, they might.”

His eyes grew wide and she smiled. It reminded her of all the other times she had surprised him. She kissed his lips. He met her kiss, but pulled away suddenly.

“Are you, um… serious?”

She stopped fondling him, wanting to show that she was in fact serious.

“Yeah. It doesn’t have to be tonight, though. We should talk about it more. But, I think I would like that.”

His fingers wound softly into her hair, pulling her into a hug against his chest. Her hand curled against him and she nuzzled her face against his shirt.

“Me, too.”

She could feel his heartbeat below pick up a little. She smiled and planted a big kiss, wishing his shirt was off already. 

“Of course, we _could_...” She moved her hand back to his pants, feeling him firm below the fabric.

“Unnh,” his head fell back, “You know I can’t think straight when you do that.”

She laughed, but stopped her current method of teasing. 

“No, we’ll talk more tomorrow. Instead, I think I have a better idea.” 

She slid off the bed and found her target in their underwear drawer. Turning around, she held up her hands to Armin. His excitement was visible and he was already sliding his pants off. She cleared her throat. He froze as she inquired sternly,

“Did I say you could undress?”

He smirked, slid his pants off the rest of the way, and said playfully, “No.” He purposefully abandoned any formal titles. So, he wanted it _that_ way tonight? This is exactly why they had finally invested in a gag...

She allowed herself one last smile with him before shifting into character. She would correct him in the most delicious way possible. It was going to be a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading/following! Please feel free to comment, good or bad. (Although, I do hope you've enjoyed it!)


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